European Flying Squid [Todarodes sagittatus]
Description
The European Flying Squid is a large species of squid that can reach a mantle length of up to 50 cm. It is a fast swimmer and is known to 'fly' by jet-propulsion out of the water and then spread its fins and tentacles to glide. It has a wide distribution throughout the eastern Atlantic Ocean, from the Arctic Circle to the coasts of Portugal, and into the Mediterranean Sea. This species is predominantly a deep-water squid, living at depths of 100 to 500 meters, but it comes closer to the surface at night to feed.
Taxonomy
| Phylum |
Mollusks
Mollusca
|
|---|---|
| Class |
Squids, Octopuses, and Cuttlefish
Cephalopoda
|
| Order |
Squids
Teuthida
|
| Family |
Ommastrephids
Ommastrephidae
|
| Genus |
European Flying Squid
Todaropsis
|