Bigfin reef squid
Sepioteuthis lessoniana
Atlantic brief squid
Lolliguncula brevis
About
The Atlantic brief squid is a small, fast-moving squid of shallow coastal waters along the Americas' Atlantic coast. It can survive in water far less salty than the open sea, letting it push into estuaries most squid could never enter.
Also known as: short-bodied squid
- Depth
- up to 20 m
Appearance
Its mantle is widest in the middle and tapers to a rounded point at the rear, with rounded fins about half the length of the mantle. The head carries two large eyes and a funnel underneath used for swimming. It has five pairs of arms, four short with two rows of suckers, plus a pair of longer tentacles ending in clubs with four rows of suckers, used to grab food. Its base colour is dark reddish-brown to yellow-brown, and its skin is covered in colour-changing cells.
Habitat
It lives in shallow inshore waters, down to about 20 m, favouring muddy bottoms over sandy ones within inlets and along the coast. Its range runs along the Atlantic coast of the Americas, and it can also move into estuaries during warmer months.
Behaviour
It swims by pushing water out through its funnel, contracting its mantle hard to chase fast prey or to jet away from danger. When threatened, it can release a cloud of ink to confuse predators. It is common prey for larger fish and squid, and adults will sometimes eat their own young. Feeding habits shift with age, as young squid target small bottom-dwelling crustaceans.
Did you know?
Unlike almost every other squid, its body fluids match the salt level of the water around it, letting it survive salinity as low as half that of normal seawater.
Log it in Into the Blue
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