European Squid - Loligo vulgaris

Characteristics:

This ten-armed squid can grow to a length of 75 cm. It is similar to L. forbesi, which is not so common in Europe. The two species can be distinguished by the size of the suckers of the middle region of the tentacle club. On the L. vulgaris they are three to four times the size of the adjacent suckers, while only twice the size on L. forbesi. The fins covers approximately two thirds of the body length while the fins of L. forbesi cover three fourths. Another similar species is Alloteuthis subulata. The latter is smaller (20 cm) and the slender body end in a pointed "tail".

Habitat:

It lives mostly in shelf seas, in deep water, but migrate to the coast to spawn.

Distribution:

It is registered in Southern parts of the North Sea, from the Faroe Islands and southern parts of Norway to the Mediterranean and the north-west coast of Africa.