Longfin Squid
Longfin Squid
Doryteuthis (Amerigo) pealeii
Quick Facts
Longfin squid. Credit: National Undersea Research Center – University of Connecticut
Longfin squid. Credit: 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.
Population
The stock is not overfished.
Fishing Rate
Overfishing status is unknown, but management measures are in place.
Habitat Impacts
Fishing gears used to harvest longfin squid have minimal impacts on habitat.
Bycatch
Regulations are in place to minimize bycatch.
Population Status
- The species has a lifespan of less than one year. According to the 2020 stock assessment, longfin squid are not overfished. There is currently not enough information to determine whether the stock is subject to overfishing. Summary stock assessment information can be found on Stock SMART.
Appearance
- 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.
Biology
- 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.
Where They Live
Range
- 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.
Habitat
- Adults live over mud or sand/mud substrates of the continental shelf and upper continental slope in waters as deep as 1,300 feet.
- Adults and juveniles migrate vertically in the water column, remaining near the seabed during the day and moving toward the surface at night.
- North of Cape Hatteras, squid migrate seasonally—offshore during late autumn to spend the winter in warmer waters along the shelf edge and slope, and back inshore during the spring where they remain until late autumn.
- Squid egg masses are attached to rocks and small boulders or aquatic vegetation and on sandy bottoms.
- Paralarvae are found in surface waters. Juveniles also live in the upper water column in water 165 to 1,650 feet deep.
Fishery Management
- 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.
Harvest
- In 2021, commercial landings totaled 23.4 million pounds, and were valued at $33.4 million, according to the NOAA Fisheries commercial fishing landings database.
- Fisheries for longfin squid reflect the species’ seasonal migrations.
- The majority of landings come from Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts.
- Harvested for bait since the late 1800s, longfin squid have been harvested since the mid-1960’s for their mild, sweet meat.
- Gear types, habitat impacts, and bycatch:
- The majority of longfin squid is harvested year-round using small-mesh bottom trawls. There are now only a few fishermen that use pound nets and fish traps during the spring and early summer when squid migrate inshore.
- Sandy or muddy habitat, where squid are fished, is less sensitive to the impacts of trawling.
- Small-mesh bottom trawls can incidentally catch marine mammals and large pelagic species, including pilot whales, common dolphin, swordfish, and a variety of shark, ray, and tuna species. Finfish such as butterfish, hakes, Illex squid, fluke, herring, spiny dogfish, and Atlantic mackerel are also incidentally caught in this fishery.
- Measures to prevent or minimize bycatch include:
- Bycatch cap for butterfish caught in the longfin fishery.
- Minimum mesh size requirements for bottom trawl nets, but bycatch escapement is very limited because the codend mesh sizes are very small (1 7/8 in. during Trimester 2 and 2 1/8 in. during Trimesters 1 and 3) and are covered by an additional layer of mesh called a strengthener.
- Outreach to fishermen to educate them on actions to take in the event of a marine mammal interaction.
- Real-time communication to vessels regarding hotspots of marine mammal interactions.
Scientific Classification
- 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.
- Adults live over mud or sand/mud substrates of the continental shelf and upper continental slope in waters as deep as 1,300 feet.
- Adults and juveniles migrate vertically in the water column, remaining near the seabed during the day and moving toward the surface at night.
- North of Cape Hatteras, squid migrate seasonally—offshore during late autumn to spend the winter in warmer waters along the shelf edge and slope, and back inshore during the spring where they remain until late autumn.
- Squid egg masses are attached to rocks and small boulders or aquatic vegetation and on sandy bottoms.
- Paralarvae are found in surface waters. Juveniles also live in the upper water column in water 165 to 1,650 feet deep.
Fishery Management
- 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.
Harvest
- In 2021, commercial landings totaled 23.4 million pounds, and were valued at $33.4 million, according to the NOAA Fisheries commercial fishing landings database.
- Fisheries for longfin squid reflect the species’ seasonal migrations.
- The majority of landings come from Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts.
- Harvested for bait since the late 1800s, longfin squid have been harvested since the mid-1960’s for their mild, sweet meat.
- Gear types, habitat impacts, and bycatch:
- The majority of longfin squid is harvested year-round using small-mesh bottom trawls. There are now only a few fishermen that use pound nets and fish traps during the spring and early summer when squid migrate inshore.
- Sandy or muddy habitat, where squid are fished, is less sensitive to the impacts of trawling.
- Small-mesh bottom trawls can incidentally catch marine mammals and large pelagic species, including pilot whales, common dolphin, swordfish, and a variety of shark, ray, and tuna species. Finfish such as butterfish, hakes, Illex squid, fluke, herring, spiny dogfish, and Atlantic mackerel are also incidentally caught in this fishery.
- Measures to prevent or minimize bycatch include:
- Bycatch cap for butterfish caught in the longfin fishery.
- Minimum mesh size requirements for bottom trawl nets, but bycatch escapement is very limited because the codend mesh sizes are very small (1 7/8 in. during Trimester 2 and 2 1/8 in. during Trimesters 1 and 3) and are covered by an additional layer of mesh called a strengthener.
- Outreach to fishermen to educate them on actions to take in the event of a marine mammal interaction.
- Real-time communication to vessels regarding hotspots of marine mammal interactions.
Scientific Classification
| Kingdom | Animalia | Phylum | Mollusca | Class | Cephalopoda | Order | Myopsida | Family | Loliginidae | Genus | Doryteuthis | Species | pealeii |
|---|
Featured News
Related Species
Seafood Facts
Is Longfin Squid Sustainable?
U.S. wild-caught longfin squid is a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed and responsibly harvested under U.S. regulations.
Availability
Year-round.
Source
U.S. wild-caught fromSouthern Massachusetts to North Carolina.
Taste
Mild and slightly sweet.
Texture
Firm.
Color
Raw squid is ivory colored with a speckled membrane. Cooked squid is opaque white.
Health Benefits
Squid are an excellent source of selenium, riboflavin, and vitamin B12.
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1; Serving Weight: 100 g; Calories: 92; Protein: 15.58 g; Total Fat: 1.38 g; Total Saturated Fatty Acids: 0.358 g; Carbohydrate: 3.08 g; Total Sugars: 0 g; Total Dietary Fiber: 0 g; Cholesterol: 233 mg; Selenium: 44.8 mcg; Sodium: 44 mgSeafood News
Plates of tuna crudo, halibut ceviche tacos, and eastern oysters. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Brianna Shaughnessy.
Sustainably grown, organic Alaskan kelp is harvested at the Seagrove Kelp Co. farm in Doyle Bay. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Jordan Hollarsmith
Kyle Woolever, aquaculture manager at Superior Fresh based in Hixton, WI holds a farm-raised salmon. Credit: ©Sara Stathas
Regulated, Closed, and Access Areas
Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Restricted Areas
Oceanographer Canyon |
Lydonia Canyon |
Northern Scup Gear Restricted Area (GRA) |
Southern Scup GRA |
|
January 1–December 31 |
January 1–December 31 |
November 1–December 31 |
January 1–March 15 |
|
Bottom trawl gear prohibited |
Bottom trawl gear prohibited |
Minimum mesh size of 5.0 inch diamond mesh |
Minimum mesh size of 5.0 inch diamond mesh |
|
Transit allowed if bottom trawl gear is stowed and not available for immediate use. |
Transit allowed if bottom trawl gear is stowed and not available for immediate use. |
Transit allowed if codends less than 5.0 inches are stowed and not available for immediate use. |
Transit allowed if codends less than 5.0 inches are stowed and not available for immediate use. |
|
Applies to all permitted mackerel, squid, or butterfish vessels |
Applies to all permitted mackerel, squid, or butterfish vessels |
Applies to all trawl vessels fishing for longfin squid, black sea bass, or silver hake (whiting) |
Applies to all trawl vessels fishing for longfin squid, black sea bass, or silver hake (whiting) |
*Coordinates for each area are listed below.
Oceanographer and Lydonia Canyons
|
Oceanographer Canyon Coordinates |
|
Lydonia Canyon Coordinates |
||
N. Lat. |
W. Long. |
N. Lat. |
W. Long. |
|
|
40°10.0' |
68°12.0' |
40°16.0' |
67°34.0' |
|
|
40°24.0' |
68°09.0' |
40°16.0' |
67°42.0' |
|
|
40°24.0' |
68°08.0' |
40°20.0' |
67°43.0' |
|
|
40°10.0' |
67°59.0' |
40°27.0' |
67°40.0' |
|
|
40°10.0' |
68°12.0' |
40°27.0' |
67°38.0' |
|
|
|
|
40°16.0' |
67°34.0' |
|
Scup GRAs
|
Southern GRA Coordinates |
|
Northern GRA Coordinates |
||
N. Lat. |
W. Long. |
N. Lat. |
W. Long. |
|
|
39°20' |
72°53' |
41°00' |
71°00' |
|
|
39°20' |
72°28' |
41°00' |
71°30' |
|
|
38°00' |
73°58' |
40°00' |
72°40' |
|
|
37°00' |
74°43' |
40°00' |
72°05' |
|
|
36°30' |
74°43' |
41°00' |
71°00' |
|
|
36°30' |
75°03' |
|
|
|
|
37°00' |
75°03' |
|
|
|
|
38°00' |
74°23' |
|
|
|
|
39°20' |
72°53' |
|
|
|
Illex Squid Exemption Area
Otter trawl vessels possessing longfin squid harvested in or from federal waters and fishing for Illex during the months of June, July, August in Trimester II, and September in Trimester III, are exempt from the longfin squid gear requirements specified in 50 CFR 648.23(a)(2), as long as:
- Any net, or any piece of net, with a mesh size less than 17⁄8 inches diamond mesh in Trimester II, and 21⁄8 inches diamond mesh in Trimester III, is stowed and not available for immediate use when the vessel is landward of the Illex Squid Exemption Area (coordinates below).
- Any net, or any piece of net, equipped with a net strengthener with a mesh opening smaller than 5 inches (diamond or square mesh) is stowed and not available for immediate use when the vessel is landward of the Illex Squid Exemption Area.
N. Lat. |
W. Long. |
|
43°58.0′ |
[1] |
|
43°58.0′ |
67°22.0′ |
|
43°50.0′ |
68°35.0′ |
|
43°30.0′ |
69°40.0′ |
|
43°20.0′ |
70°00.0′ |
|
42°45.0′ |
70°10.0′ |
|
42°13.0′ |
69°55.0′ |
|
41°00.0′ |
69°00.0′ |
|
41°45.0′ |
68°15.0′ |
|
42°10.0′ |
[2] 67°10.0′ |
|
41°18.6′ |
[2] 66°24.8′ |
|
40°55.5′ |
66°38.0′ |
|
40°45.5′ |
68°00.0′ |
|
40°37.0′ |
68°00.0′ |
|
40°30.0′ |
69°00.0′ |
|
40°22.7′ |
69°00.0′ |
|
40°18.7′ |
69°40.0′ |
|
40°21.0′ |
71°03.0′ |
|
39°41.0′ |
72°32.0′ |
|
38°47.0′ |
73°11.0′ |
|
38°04.0′ |
74°06.0′ |
|
37°08.0′ |
74°46.0′ |
|
36°00.0′ |
74°52.0′ |
|
35°45.0′ |
74°53.0′ |
|
35°28.0′ |
74°52.0′ |
|
35°28.0′ |
[3] |
[1] The intersection of 43°58.0′ N. latitude and the US-Canada Maritime Boundary.
[2] Points M9 and M10 are intended to fall along and are connected by the US-Canada Maritime Boundary.
[3] The intersection of 35°28.0′ N. latitude and the outward limit of the U.S. EEZ.
Science Overview
NOAA Fisheries conducts various research activities on the biology, behavior, and population health of longfin squid. The results of this research are used to inform management decisions for this species.
For detailed information about stock status, management, assessments, and resource trends, you can search for longfin squid, or any other species of interest, using NOAA’s StockSMART web tool.
Stock Assessment Review Index
Fishery Stock Assessments in New England and the Mid-Atlantic provides general information about stock assessments, and the Stock Assessment Review Index contains copies of completed assessment documents.
