Angolan flying squid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Angolan flying squid |
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The Angolan flying squid (Todarodes angolensis) is a type of squid. It belongs to a group of squids known as the flying squids. Scientists are still learning about this squid. It looks very similar to the Antarctic flying squid. Because of this, it's sometimes hard to tell them apart. Most scientists believe it lives mainly off the coast of Southern Africa.
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What Does the Angolan Flying Squid Look Like?
The Angolan flying squid has a body shaped like a cylinder. This main body part is called the mantle. It also has fins that look like arrows. Unlike some other squids, it doesn't have special light-producing organs called photophores inside its body.
Its long feeding arms, called tentacles, have a special part called the tentacular club. This club has only four pairs of suckers. This is a unique feature for this squid. The suckers in the middle of the club have 13 to 16 sharp, pointed teeth. The tentacles also have four rows of suckers. The largest of these suckers have 14-17 cone-shaped teeth.
The suckers on its eight shorter arms have large teeth. These large teeth are mixed with very small teeth. For male squids, a part of their fourth right arm is special. It has thick stalks instead of suckers. This special arm helps them reproduce. The Angolan flying squid is usually a dark purplish-brown color.
Where Does the Angolan Flying Squid Live?
The Angolan flying squid is definitely found off Southern Africa. It lives in the south-eastern Atlantic Ocean. You can find it in the Benguela Current near Angola, Namibia, and South Africa. It also extends east into the Indian Ocean.
Some people think it lives in more places. However, because it looks so much like the Antarctic flying squid, its exact home range is still being studied. Most experts agree it mainly lives near Southern Africa.
Life in the Ocean: Habitat and Habits
The Angolan flying squid usually lives deep in the ocean. It prefers the upper part of the continental slope. This is where the ocean floor starts to drop off. They are found at depths between 300 and 500 meters (about 980 to 1,640 feet). Another squid, the lesser flying squid, also lives in this area. These two species are often found together in this deep zone.
During the day, adult squids stay close to the ocean bottom. Young squids can be found at different depths, but they avoid the very surface. At night, adult squids swim up higher in the water. They can be found at various depths, but still not right at the surface. Young squids are most common at depths of 60-80 meters (about 200-260 feet) at night. Young squids usually like to live in the upper, sunlit part of the ocean.
In some groups of these squids, there are more females than males. This has also been seen in the European flying squid. This might mean that males and females live in different areas. They might only come together when it's time to lay eggs.
The smallest adult male squid found had a body length of 240 mm (about 9.4 inches). The smallest adult female was 250 mm (about 9.8 inches). Studies suggest that females become fully grown when their bodies are between 300 mm and 350 mm long (about 11.8 to 13.8 inches).
These squids are most common during the Southern spring. This is from October to December. Scientists study their ear stones, called statoliths, to learn about their age. These studies show that the Angolan flying squid lives for about one year. How fast they grow can change a lot. This depends on how the ocean environment changes, especially in the northern Benguela Upwelling System.
Angolan flying squids are active hunters. They eat many different types of fish. For example, they eat the Cape hake fish. In turn, many other animals eat the Angolan flying squid. This includes various fish, sharks, and marine mammals. For some of these predators, the Angolan flying squid makes up most of their diet.
Fishing for Squid
People do not usually fish for the Angolan flying squid on purpose. However, it is sometimes caught by accident. This happens when fishing boats are trying to catch other types of fish.
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