Fish Identification

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Non-fish Identification: Find Species

Family: Ommastrephidae flying squids and arrow squids (See list of species below)

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Total number of spines in dorsal and anal fins (optional)

22 species with fin ray counts including ? spines in dorsal and ? in anal fins (see list below)

Dosidicus gigas [Jumbo flying squid]	Eucleoteuthis luminosa [Luminous flying squid]	Hyaloteuthis pelagica [Glassy flying squid]
Illex argentinus [Argentine shortfin squid]	Illex coindetii [Shortfin squid]	Illex illecebrosus [Northern shortfin squid]
No picture found Illex oxygonius [Sharptail shortfin squid]	No picture found Martialia hyadesi [Sevenstar flying squid]	Nototodarus gouldi [Gould's flying squid]
Nototodarus hawaiiensis [Hawaiian flying squid]	No picture found Nototodarus philippinensis [Philippine flying squid]	Nototodarus sloanii [Wellington flying squid]
Ommastrephes bartramii [Neon flying squid]	No picture found Ornithoteuthis antillarum [Bird squid]	Ornithoteuthis volatilis [Shiny bird squid]
Sthenoteuthis oualaniensis [Purpleback flying squid]	No picture found Sthenoteuthis pteropus [Orangeback squid]	Todarodes angolensis [Angolan flying squid]
No picture found Todarodes filippovae [Antarctic flying squid]	Todarodes pacificus [Japanese flying squid]	Todarodes sagittatus [European flying squid]
Todaropsis eblanae [Lesser flying squid]

22 Species of Family Ommastrephidae
(flying squids and arrow squids)

Sort by: Species Length

Scientific Name	English Name	Distribution	Max. Length (cm)
Dosidicus gigas	Jumbo flying squid	Eastern Pacific. From so	400 TL
Eucleoteuthis luminosa	Luminous flying squid	Circumglobal in tropical	180 ML
Hyaloteuthis pelagica	Glassy flying squid	Indo-Pacific and Atlantic	10.5 ML
Illex argentinus	Argentine shortfin squid	Southwest Atlantic, South	40 ML
Illex coindetii	Shortfin squid	Atlantic Ocean and the Me	38 ML
Illex illecebrosus	Northern shortfin squid	Atlantic Ocean	31 ML
Illex oxygonius	Sharptail shortfin squid	Atlantic Ocean.	23 ML
Martialia hyadesi	Sevenstar flying squid	Southern Ocean.	40 ML
Nototodarus gouldi	Gould's flying squid	Indo-West Pacific	40 ML
Nototodarus hawaiiensis	Hawaiian flying squid	Pacific Ocean	16 ML
Nototodarus philippinensis	Philippine flying squid	Western Pacific	18 ML
Nototodarus sloanii	Wellington flying squid	Southwest Pacific	42 ML
Ommastrephes bartramii	Neon flying squid	Circumglobal in subtropic	90 ML
Ornithoteuthis antillarum	Bird squid	Atlantic Ocean	30 ML
Ornithoteuthis volatilis	Shiny bird squid	Indo-West Pacific	31 ML
Sthenoteuthis oualaniensis	Purpleback flying squid	Indo-Pacific. Tropical t	65 ML
Sthenoteuthis pteropus	Orangeback squid	Pan-Atlantic in tropical	65 ML
Todarodes angolensis	Angolan flying squid	Southwest Pacific and Eas	43.3 ML
Todarodes filippovae	Antarctic flying squid	Circumpolar in Southern O	55.5 ML
Todarodes pacificus	Japanese flying squid	Northern and Western Paci	50 ML
Todarodes sagittatus	European flying squid	Northeast Atlantic, Medit	75 ML
Todaropsis eblanae	Lesser flying squid	Atlantic Ocean, the Medit	29 ML

Other identification tools in SeaLifeBase

Quick Identification

Identification keys

Identification by morphometrics

Identification by pictures:

          If you already know the Family, go to Search SeaLifeBase, select Family and click on 'Identification by pictures' to display all available pictures in SeaLifeBase for the family.

          If you already know the Country, go to Search SeaLifeBase, select Country and click on 'Identification by pictures' to display all available pictures in SeaLifeBase for the country.

          If you already know the Ecosystem, go to Search SeaLifeBase, select Ecosystem and click on 'Identification by pictures' to display all available pictures in SeaLifeBase for the ecosystem.