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Squid Science: Explore the six most fished species in the world!

WORLDWIDE
Wednesday, July 10, 2024, 07:00 (GMT + 9)

The majority of global squid catches are made up of Ommastrephidae and Loliginidae. In the first decade of the 21st century, the global average annual catch of cephalopods was about 4.1 million tons, of which Ommastrephidae accounted for 58.41% and Loliginidae accounted for 11.98%.

The Chinese fleet operates especially in 4 international areas outside of fishing within its EEZ. Some international areas are regulated and others are not.

The following are the main squid species, distribution, habitat and fishing methods released by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in 2010:

Argentine squid: Short fin squid

Argentine squid (scientific name: Illex argentinus), also known as Argentine soft fish, is one of the most fished squid species and is widely used as a barbecue ingredient. The Argentine squid has a conical body shape, with a thin and narrow rear part, and a body length that is about four times the body width. According to the spawning time and growth rate, it can be divided into four spawning groups: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. It is mainly distributed in the western waters of Argentina and is fished from March to August and December to February.

Peruvian squid: Giant stem squid

Peruvian squid (scientific name: Dosidicus gigas), also known as the American giant squid, jumbo squid, Pota in Peru or Jibia in Chile, mainly grows in the Peruvian cold current in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Peruvian squid is large in size and is often used in squid shred processing. It has an oblong cone shape with round spots on the surface. It is mainly distributed in the Peruvian cold current area in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Due to its large catch and low price, it is widely favored by domestic squid shred processing factories.

Japanese squid: Pacific squid

Japanese squid (scientific name: Todarodes pacificus), also known as Japanese common squid or Pacific flying squid, is widely distributed in the waters of 21°N-50°N in the western Pacific Ocean. Japanese squid is about 35 cm long and is mainly caught in Japan and South Korea. In recent years, due to the high intensity of fishing, the size of the catch has been getting smaller and smaller, and it is mainly used for processing various squid products.

North Pacific squid: Neon flying squid, akaika

The North Pacific squid (scientific name: Ommastrephes bartramii) is also called the red flying squid or akaika. It is characterized by a cylindrical front section and a tapered back section. The North Pacific squid is mainly distributed in the North Pacific Ocean where the cold and warm currents meet.

It is one of the important economic cephalopod resources. In recent years, the intensity of fishing has increased, and the size of the catch has become smaller. It is a medium-sized squid.

California Pen-Tube Squid: Opalescent Squid

California Pencil Squid (Scientific name: Doryteuthis opalescens) is also called market squid, inshore squid or 'calamari', is mainly found in the eastern Pacific Ocean, from Mexico to Alaska. California Pencil Squid is a small squid, 8-14 per pound, mainly used for fresh eating and cooking. The fishing season is divided into winter in Southern California and summer in Northern California.

Local squid: Chinese calamari

Chinese Loligo (scientific name: Loligo chinensis), also known as Hong Kong squid, drag squid, Hanchi, Taiwanese squid or mitre squid, is widely distributed along the southern coast of China and Southeast Asian Countries. Chinese Loligo is one of the most important economic species in the world, accounting for 60% of the total production of the world's squid family. After being caught, Chinese Loligo is mainly used to dry squid for export. The meat is sweet and tender and is very popular in domestic and foreign markets.

Source: Shenyu L./Frozen Food Guide (translated from original in Chinese)

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