Longfin Inshore Squid
Encyclopedia
The Longfin Inshore Squid (Doryteuthis pealeii) is a species of squid
of the family Loliginidae
. The Longfin Inshore Squid is found in the North Atlantic, schooling in continental shelf
and slope waters from Newfoundland to the Gulf of Venezuela
. It is commercially exploited, especially in the range from the Southern Georges Bank
to Cape Hatteras
.
The Longfin Inshore Squid spawns year-round and lives for less than one year. Individuals hatched in summer generally grow more rapidly than those hatched in winter due to the warmer temperature of the water. The species presents sexual dimorphism
, with most males growing faster and reaching larger sizes than females. The dorsal-mantle length of some males can reach 50 cm, although most squids commercially harvested are smaller than 30 cm long.
This species is a model organism
in neuroscience
and was used by Andrew Huxley
and Alan Hodgkin in their studies on axon
s. They are also used for research on replicating their camouflage abilities due to the chromatophores in their skin, which reflect a different color depending on the angle at which the light is hitting them.
Squid
Squid are cephalopods of the order Teuthida, which comprises around 300 species. Like all other cephalopods, squid have a distinct head, bilateral symmetry, a mantle, and arms. Squid, like cuttlefish, have eight arms arranged in pairs and two, usually longer, tentacles...
of the family Loliginidae
Loliginidae
Loliginidae, commonly known as pencil squids, is an aquatic family of the order Teuthida .-Species:The following classification follows Vecchione et al. and the Tree of Life Web Project .*Genus Afrololigo...
. The Longfin Inshore Squid is found in the North Atlantic, schooling in continental shelf
Continental shelf
The continental shelf is the extended perimeter of each continent and associated coastal plain. Much of the shelf was exposed during glacial periods, but is now submerged under relatively shallow seas and gulfs, and was similarly submerged during other interglacial periods. The continental margin,...
and slope waters from Newfoundland to the Gulf of Venezuela
Gulf of Venezuela
The Gulf of Venezuela is a gulf of the Caribbean Sea bounded by the Venezuelan states of Zulia and Falcón and by Guajira Department, Colombia...
. It is commercially exploited, especially in the range from the Southern Georges Bank
Georges Bank
Georges Bank is a large elevated area of the sea floor which separates the Gulf of Maine from the Atlantic Ocean and is situated between Cape Cod, Massachusetts and Cape Sable Island, Nova Scotia ....
to Cape Hatteras
Cape Hatteras
Cape Hatteras is a cape on the coast of North Carolina. It is the point that protrudes the farthest to the southeast along the northeast-to-southwest line of the Atlantic coast of North America...
.
The Longfin Inshore Squid spawns year-round and lives for less than one year. Individuals hatched in summer generally grow more rapidly than those hatched in winter due to the warmer temperature of the water. The species presents sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is a phenotypic difference between males and females of the same species. Examples of such differences include differences in morphology, ornamentation, and behavior.-Examples:-Ornamentation / coloration:...
, with most males growing faster and reaching larger sizes than females. The dorsal-mantle length of some males can reach 50 cm, although most squids commercially harvested are smaller than 30 cm long.
This species is a model organism
Model organism
A model organism is a non-human species that is extensively studied to understand particular biological phenomena, with the expectation that discoveries made in the organism model will provide insight into the workings of other organisms. Model organisms are in vivo models and are widely used to...
in neuroscience
Neuroscience
Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system. Traditionally, neuroscience has been seen as a branch of biology. However, it is currently an interdisciplinary science that collaborates with other fields such as chemistry, computer science, engineering, linguistics, mathematics,...
and was used by Andrew Huxley
Andrew Huxley
Sir Andrew Fielding Huxley, OM, FRS is an English physiologist and biophysicist, who won the 1963 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his experimental and mathematical work with Sir Alan Lloyd Hodgkin on the basis of nerve action potentials, the electrical impulses that enable the activity...
and Alan Hodgkin in their studies on axon
Axon
An axon is a long, slender projection of a nerve cell, or neuron, that conducts electrical impulses away from the neuron's cell body or soma....
s. They are also used for research on replicating their camouflage abilities due to the chromatophores in their skin, which reflect a different color depending on the angle at which the light is hitting them.
Further reading
- Williams, L. W. 1910. The anatomy of the common squid: Loligo pealii, Lesueur. Leiden, 92 pp.