''Uroteuthis duvaucelii'', also known as the Indian Ocean squid or Indian squid, is an Indo-West Pacific species of

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 ...

with a wide range throughout the Indian Ocean to Malaysia and the South China Sea, and is also present in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea. ''U. duvaucelii'' is found at depths between and feeds on fishes, crustaceans and other squids. Individuals have mantles moderately long (commonly up to ) and slender with broad fins, approximately 50% of the mantle length. ''U. duvaucelii'' represents a significant species in commercial fisheries throughout its range: e.g. catches of squid in the Philippines commercial fishery are 90% ''U. duvaucelii''.

Life cycle

During brooding fertilized embryos hatch into a

planktonic Plankton are the diverse collection of organisms found in water (or air) that are unable to propel themselves against a current (or wind). The individual organisms constituting plankton are called plankters. In the ocean, they provide a crucia ...

stage migrating into the upper layers of the water column. As they grow larger they take up a

benthic The benthic zone is the ecological region at the lowest level of a body of water such as an ocean, lake, or stream, including the sediment surface and some sub-surface layers. The name comes from ancient Greek, βένθος (bénthos), meaning "t ...

existence as adults, with males being slightly larger than females. Spawning occurs throughout the year but principally in spring and autumn. It is initiated by males performing various displays to attract potential females. During copulation, a male grasps the female and inserts the hectocotylus into the female's mantle cavity where fertilization usually occurs. Adult males usually then die shortly after spawning, whilst females survive for a short while until after brooding. The life cycle of ''U. duvaucelii'' lasts around 1 year although this can vary due to environmental factors.

References

External links

Tree of Life web project: ''Uroteuthis''
Uroteuthis Cephalopods described in 1945 {{squid-stub