''Illex oxygonius'', commonly known as the sharptail shortfin squid, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

neritic The neritic zone (or sublittoral zone) is the relatively shallow part of the ocean above the drop-off of the continental shelf, approximately in depth. From the point of view of marine biology it forms a relatively stable and well-illuminated ...

squid True squid are molluscs with an elongated soft body, large eyes, eight arms, and two tentacles in the superorder Decapodiformes, though many other molluscs within the broader Neocoleoidea are also called squid despite not strictly fitting t ...

s in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Ommastrephidae Ommastrephidae is a family of squid containing three subfamilies, 11 genera, and over 20 species. They are widely distributed globally and are extensively fished for food. One species, ''Todarodes pacificus'', comprises around half of the world's ...

. Of the species of the

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

Illex ''Illex'', commonly known as shortfin squids, is a squid genus in the family Ommastrephidae and the only member of the subfamily Illicinae. It contains four species: * ''Illex argentinus'', Argentine shortfin squid * '' Illex coindetii'', south ...

'', they have the most restricted range, being found only in the western

North Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

; from off

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, south to the

Straits of Florida The Straits of Florida, Florida Straits, or Florida Strait ( es, Estrecho de Florida) is a strait located south-southeast of the North American mainland, generally accepted to be between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, and between th ...

and into the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an oceanic basin, ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of ...

. They are very difficult to distinguish from ''

Illex coindetii ''Illex coindetii'', commonly known as the southern shortfin squid or broadtail shortfin squid, is a species of neritic squids in the family Ommastrephidae. They are found in the Mediterranean Sea and on both sides of the north Atlantic Ocean. D ...

'' and ''

Illex illecebrosus ''Illex illecebrosus'', commonly known as the northern shortfin squid, is a species of Neritic zone, neritic squids in the Family (biology), family Ommastrephidae. Squids of the genus Illex account for 65% of the world’s cephalopod captures. Il ...

'', with which their geographic range overlaps. The most obvious difference of ''I. oxygnius'' is their sharper fin angles of 25° to 40° (hence their common name). There is also the possibility that they may be a hybrid of ''I. coindetii'' and ''I. illecebrosus''.Michael Vecchione, Clyde F.E. Roper, & Michael J. Sweeney (February 1989). "Marine Flora and Fauna of the Eastern United States. Mollusca: Cephalopoda". ''NOAA Technical Report NMFS 73'' (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration & National Marine Fisheries Service).

References

Squid Molluscs of the Atlantic Ocean Fauna of the Caribbean Marine molluscs of North America Molluscs of the United States Cephalopods of North America Molluscs described in 1969 {{Squid-stub