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Fish4Life provides everything you need to enjoy seafood responsibly. Explore information and practical tips for safe and sustainable seafood consumption, and help protect marine life by reporting undersized or illegally traded seafood.

European squid
Loligo vulgaris
Καλαμάρι

Sustainability Status

No accurate stock assessment

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Help us protect our seas by reporting illegal or undersized fish that you see in markets, restaurants or fishing boats
Fishstocks – Declining due to overexploitation
Think before you eat – This species faces increasing pressures and should only be consumed responsibly

Legal

Minimum Size

–

Prohibited Consumption Period

–

Sustainable

Minimum Size

17cm

Avoid Consumption Period

May – August

Advice for Consumption

Think before consuming this species.

Greek legislation does not establish legal minimum size and no closed season, leaving juvenile and spawning individuals completely unprotected. Always respect minimum sustainable size limits and do not consume this species during its breeding season.

Choose sustainable seafood!

Archipelagos Tips

Choosing larger, mature squid helps reduce fishing pressure on juvenile individuals.

Large quantities of juvenile squid are often found on the market. Although this is not currently illegal, it is highly destructive and threatens the sustainability of squid populations.

If you spot juvenile squid for sale, please report it to us. Your observations help us monitor the scale of this problem.

Common names

FR

Calmar

it

Calamaro

es

Calamar

tr

Adi kalamar

pt

Lula-vulgar

nl

Gewone pijlinktvis

de

Gemeiner Kalmar

toxicity

This species is safe to consume.

iucn info

Data deficient (DD)

Description

The fins are broad and paddle-shaped, with a wider span than length. While the mantle is also broad, featuring few large color spots on the top and many more underneath. The head is squared with a few spots on top and 12 spots below arranged in cheek patches, plus there are special markings on the arms and tentacles. Usually showing greyish-transparent or reddish hues with a mottled purple-brown pattern on top.

It looks like Loligo forbesii (Veined squid) both species share similar distributions, reproductive seasons, and spawning ground depths, making them difficult to distinguish.

Did you know?

Some European squid undergo a vertical migration, moving to deeper water during the winter!

Ecological Aspects

Diet

Carnivorous.
Juveniles feed on planktonic prey, while adults frequently feed on fish and sometimes on cephalopods and crustaceans.

habitat

Demersal.
Inhabits circumlittoral zone and upper bottoms of bathyal systems.

Max size & depth range

Max length: 64 cm
Max weight: 1.5 kg
Depth range: 0-500 m

breeding & Growth

They are strictly gonochoric (having separate male and female sexes). Males perform various displays to attract potential females for copulation. Male and female adults usually die shortly after spawning and brooding.

Longevity & presence

Lifespan: 12-15 months (females), 1-3 years (males)
Max reported age: 3.5 years
Distribution: from North Sea and British Isles to Southwest Africa and the Mediterranean.

appearance changes

As a juvenile, they undergo dramatic morphological changes, transitioning from tiny, rounded hatchlings with paddle-like fins into slender, elongated adults.

Reproductive Cycle

Spawning peaks between December and April, with populations migrating from deep offshore waters to coastal areas. An individual female lays between 20,000 and 70,000 eggs in her lifetime. Embryos hatch between 30 to 72 days depending on water temperature.
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Good choice – Consumption of this species is currently considered sustainable

Illegal species – Fishing, selling and consumption of this species is illegal

Fishstocks – Declining due to overexploitation

Think before you eat – This species faces increasing pressures and should only be consumed responsibly

Bad choice – Consumption of this species is unsustainable

Health concerns –
Can accumulate dangerously high levels of toxic substances harmful to health

Alien / Invasive – This species is not from this region and can have a negative impact on the ecosystem and threaten local biodiversity, so it is sustainable to eat

Aquafarms – You will commonly find this species coming from aquafarms