This is the common inshore squid of the northeastern U.S. Maximum length: 47 cm ML (male); males grow larger than females; sizes in western central Atlantic are considerably smaller than in northern waters - males: 30 cm maximum, less than 20 cm average; females: less than 13 cm ML.

North of Cape Hatteras there is a summer, inshore-northerly spawning migration to shallow coastal and shelf waters, followed by an offshore-southerly retreat in fall and winter to continental slope waters; restricted in summer to surface and shallow water, but from 28 - 366 m depth in winter (peak concentrations at 100 - 193 m); adults are found on the bottom during day but leave the bottom at night, dispersing into the water column, and may appear at the surface (in summer or warm water).

Optimum temperatures 10 - 14 C, minimum 8 C.

North of Cape Hatteras, spawning occurs in coastal waters and bays during late spring and summer and offshore near the shelf break during winter and early spring. Eggs laid in gelatinous finger-like strands, many of which are attached together in large masses (“sea mops”) to a solid substrate (rock, shells, man-made objects) at depths from a few to 250 m; planktonic paralarvae and juveniles are abundant in surface waters.

Food includes crustaceans (e.g. euphausids), fishes and squids.

1. Mantle
   1. Mantle long, moderately slender, cylindrical, the posterior end bluntly pointed.
2. Fins
   1. Fins rhomboid, their sides nearly straight.
3. Gladius
   1. Gladius long, rather wide, feather-shaped.
   2. Ratio of greatest width of vane of gladius to greatest width of rachis 2.7 to 3.7 in females, 2.4 to 2.9 in males.
   3. edge of vane curved (sometimes straight in males), thin, rarely ribbed.
4. Eyes
   1. Eyes not unusually large, diameter of externally visible eyeball 8 to 18% mantle length, and diameter of dissected lens 2 to 6% mantle length.
5. Arms
   1. Left ventral arm of mature males hectocotylized by modification of the distal third to fourth of arm, but the modification does not extend to arm tip; fewer than 12 of the suckers in dorsal row usually smaller than half the size of their counterparts in the ventral row; bases or pedicels of some of the modified suckers rounded, narrowly triangular.

Loligo pealeii is found from Newfoundland to the Gulf of Venezuela, migrating to different places to spawn. Among other places, these squid migrate to the Cape Cod area during the Spring and are also known as Woods Hole squid because they are studied at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts (Marine Biological Laboratory,2000).

Biogeographic Regions: atlantic ocean (Native )

Western Atlantic continental shelf and upper slope waters from Nova Scotia to Venezuela, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. Not occurring around islands, except as rare strays at islands close to continental shelf or slope.

These medium-sized squid grow to about 50 cm long. Like all squid, they have ten arms (eight of which are the same length, and one pair used for grabbing prey are longer) and three hearts (two close to their gills) so that they "can pump oxygen to the rest of the body easily." Their speed and maneuverability have earned them the description of "invertebrate athletes" (Squids,2000; Ellis, 34).

This species lives in the waters along the eastern continental shelf of North America, and in the Gulf of Mexico. In comes into shallow waters near shore to lay eggs. (Marine Biological Laboratory, 2000)

Aquatic Biomes: coastal

Loligo pealeii is carnivorous. Its diet includes chaetognaths, crustaceans, decapod shrimp, fishes, polychaetes, other squid, and euphausids.

Males court females (there is much communication by flashing skin colors), and if accepted by a female, use a modified arm (called a hectocotylus) to transfer a package of sperm called a spermatophore to the female. Females produce packets of about 200 eggs, and stick them to the sea floor in large groups with other females. Sometimes "sneaker" males lurk around the eggmasses, darting in to add their sperm as females lay their eggs. (MBL 2000)

This species is vulnerable to overfishing, and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Northeast Fisheries Center has helped establish catch limits to protect the population (Cadrin 2000).

US Federal List: no special status

CITES: no special status

This species of squid is very important to fishing industries throughout the world, including the United States, where a big market exists for this animal in both commercial and recreational fishing. In commercial fishing, Longfin inshore squid are sold to restaurants and other stores. In recreational fishing they serve as bait to catch to fish such as Mahi-mahi, Swordfish, and Marlins (Cadrin 2000, von der Linden et al. 1998).

Loligo pealeii is also used as specimen in neurobiology research. Its neurons, one thousand times larger than their counterparts in humans, have provided scientists ample opportunity to study such things as sodium and potassium ion pumps. The study of these neurons has helped scientists better understand heart disease, cancer, Alzherimer's Disease, and kidney disease (Marine Biological Laboratory, 2000).