Longfin Squid

Longfin squid. Photo: National Undersea Research Center – University of Connecticut.

About the Species

U.S. wild-caught longfin squid is a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed and responsibly harvested under U.S. regulations.

Above target population levels.

Harvest quotas are trimester-based to ensure that it is fished at the recommended level.

Fishing gears used to harvest longfin squid have minimal impacts on habitat.

Regulations are in place to minimize bycatch.

The species has a lifespan of less than one year. According to the 2017 stock assessment, longfin squid are not overfished. There is currently not enough information to determine whether the stock is subject to overfishing

Longfin squid have an internal shell called a “pen.”
Their fins are long, at least half the length of the mantle (large part of the squid in front of the head).
The head has large eyes that are covered by a cornea.
They are pink or orange and mottled with brown or purple.
They are likely color blind, but are able to use special pigment cells in their skin (called chromatophores) to change their color and patterns to escape predators or disguise themselves from prey.

Longfin squid grow fast, up to 1.6 feet mantle length (large part of the squid in front of the head), but usually less than 1 foot.
They have a short life span, reproducing right before they die at around six to eight months old.
Their growth and development is highly sensitive to environmental conditions. Squid hatched in the summer grow faster than those hatched in the winter.
They spawn year-round, with peak production in winter and summer. The male cements bundles of spermatophores into the mantle cavity of the female and/or deposits them in a pouch located near her mouth. The spermatophores penetrate the ova, or sperm is stored for later use.
The female lays fertilized egg capsules that contain about 150 to 200 eggs each in clusters attached to the ocean bottom, with a typical female laying a total of 3,000 to 6,000 eggs. Eggs hatch between 11 and 26 days later, depending on water temperature.
Small immature longfin squid feed on plankton, and larger squid feed on crustaceans and small fish.
They are aggressive hunters, can consume fish larger than themselves, and do eat their own species.
They are a key prey species for a variety of marine mammals, diving birds, and finfish species.

Longfin squid are found from Newfoundland to the Gulf of Venezuela.
In the northwest Atlantic Ocean, longfin squid are most abundant between Georges Bank and Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.

NOAA Fisheries and the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council manage the longfin squid fishery.
Managed under the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan:
- Fishermen with a limited access permit can fish for unlimited amounts of longfin squid while the fishery is open. All other fishermen must obtain an incidental catch permit, and have possession limits.
- An annual coastwide catch quota is divided into trimester allocations. Managers monitor annual quotas closely, as there can be large fluctuations in abundance from year to year.
- Managers set a cap on the amount of butterfish that can be incidentally caught in the longfin squid fishery to help prevent overfishing on the butterfish stock.