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Description
In this picture I continue our coverage of the Myopsida, specifically the family Loliginidae better known as Coastal Squid or pencil squids. This time we shall be covering two genera each with three species.
The first genus (Loligo) is interesting for several reasons. First it is the only type of true squid to have any fossils at all known. Indeed, while all shell-less cephalopods are quite rare especially compared to Ammonites, Nautiloids and other groups of basal shelled cephalopods squids in particular have next to no fossil record. With many animals previously considered to be squid now reclassified as being related to octopuses. The reasons for this is believed to be due to how they decompose which leads them to not preserving well. There is a pyritized imprint of this genus is known from the Oligocene of Krasnodar, Russia. The squid appears to have suffocated in anoxic bottom water while attempting to eat an extinct cutlassfish. Despite its supposed rarity little coverage of it exists even among videos on the subject, likely due to its relative recency and unimportance when it comes to the evolution of the group.
The genus used to contain nearly all species in this family but thanks to improved studies it has been reduced to three which are characterized by rhomboidal fins as adults, elongated mantles, fins whose length exceeds their breadth, and lack photophores. They also have a general eastern Atlantic distribution. The first species is referred to as The Cape Hope Squid (Loligo reynaudii). Which true to its name is most well-known from Cape Hope in South Africa but can also be found off the waters of Southern Angola. It has elongated slender body, eight short arms, and two long retractile tentacles adorned with suckers and grows to the average size of 16 inches. It is regularly fished by people in the area and serves as food for Short-tail stingray, Diamond ray, Spotted ragged-tooth shark, Cape fur seal, and cat shark.
The second species is the European Squid (Loligo vulgaris) it has a great distribution, found as far north as The North Sea down south into the Mediterranean and as far down as the Gulf of Guinea. They prefer water from 13°C–20°C, and dwell in relatively shallow waters but can be found as deep as 1,640 feet. It grows to a maximum length of 15.74 inches. Females lay around 20,000 eggs. They feed on fish, crustaceans and smaller cephalopods and is an important fishery.
The third species is commonly referred to as Veined squid and Long-finned squid (Loligo forbessii). It is found in the Red Sea toward the East African coast and grows to a maximum length of 35 inches and is the largest of the genus. They live for about three years and are commonly fished. They feed upon small fish, polychaete worms, crustaceans, and other cephalopods.
The Second genus here is (Sepioteuthis) most often referred to as reef squids or oval squids. They can be distinguished from their close relatives large rounded fins that extend along almost the entire length of their mantles somewhat akin to those of cuttlefish. The first and most well known species is the Carribean Reef Squid (Sepioteuthis sepioidea) True to its name it's found in the Carribean as far north as the coasts of Florida. Fairly small they grow to about 8 inches but possess the incredibly to "fly" out of the water for a distance up to 33 feet. It consumes small fish, other mollusks, and crustaceans. The young dwell in shallow waters cloase to coasts about 1 to 3 feet while adults head to deeper water around reefs from 5 to 26 feet deep.
The second species The Bigfin Reef Squid (Sepioteuthis lessoniana) They are larger growing to 13 inches and only live about 315 days at most. They are found in temperate and tropical regions of the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean. And possibly contains several nearly identical species which means that this image may become out of date somewhat soon. It feeds on small fish and crustaceans and in turn it is fed upon by tuna, marlin, swordfish, and other predator fish. They are big in the fishing industry and are utilized by biomedical research as squid giant axons are used in research in neuroscience and physiology. It appears to be adapting to global warming by laying more eggs in warmer waters.
The Third species called the Southern Reef Squid (Sepioteuthis lessoniana) it is the larger species growing to a maximum of 15 inches. It is found in the waters around Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand. They are mainly nocturnal and live in small groups that hunt small fish and crustaceans
Left to Right: Loligo vulgaris, L. forbesii, L. reynaudii, Sepioteuthis lessoniana, S. sepioidea, S. australis

Description
In this picture I continue our coverage of the Myopsida, specifically the family Loliginidae better known as Coastal Squid or pencil squids. This time we shall be covering two genera each with three species.
The first genus (Loligo) is interesting for several reasons. First it is the only type of true squid to have any fossils at all known. Indeed, while all shell-less cephalopods are quite rare especially compared to Ammonites, Nautiloids and other groups of basal shelled cephalopods squids in particular have next to no fossil record. With many animals previously considered to be squid now reclassified as being related to octopuses. The reasons for this is believed to be due to how they decompose which leads them to not preserving well. There is a pyritized imprint of this genus is known from the Oligocene of Krasnodar, Russia. The squid appears to have suffocated in anoxic bottom water while attempting to eat an extinct cutlassfish. Despite its supposed rarity little coverage of it exists even among videos on the subject, likely due to its relative recency and unimportance when it comes to the evolution of the group.
The genus used to contain nearly all species in this family but thanks to improved studies it has been reduced to three which are characterized by rhomboidal fins as adults, elongated mantles, fins whose length exceeds their breadth, and lack photophores. They also have a general eastern Atlantic distribution. The first species is referred to as The Cape Hope Squid (Loligo reynaudii). Which true to its name is most well-known from Cape Hope in South Africa but can also be found off the waters of Southern Angola. It has elongated slender body, eight short arms, and two long retractile tentacles adorned with suckers and grows to the average size of 16 inches. It is regularly fished by people in the area and serves as food for Short-tail stingray, Diamond ray, Spotted ragged-tooth shark, Cape fur seal, and cat shark.
The second species is the European Squid (Loligo vulgaris) it has a great distribution, found as far north as The North Sea down south into the Mediterranean and as far down as the Gulf of Guinea. They prefer water from 13°C–20°C, and dwell in relatively shallow waters but can be found as deep as 1,640 feet. It grows to a maximum length of 15.74 inches. Females lay around 20,000 eggs. They feed on fish, crustaceans and smaller cephalopods and is an important fishery.
The third species is commonly referred to as Veined squid and Long-finned squid (Loligo forbessii). It is found in the Red Sea toward the East African coast and grows to a maximum length of 35 inches and is the largest of the genus. They live for about three years and are commonly fished. They feed upon small fish, polychaete worms, crustaceans, and other cephalopods.
The Second genus here is (Sepioteuthis) most often referred to as reef squids or oval squids. They can be distinguished from their close relatives large rounded fins that extend along almost the entire length of their mantles somewhat akin to those of cuttlefish. The first and most well known species is the Carribean Reef Squid (Sepioteuthis sepioidea) True to its name it's found in the Carribean as far north as the coasts of Florida. Fairly small they grow to about 8 inches but possess the incredibly to "fly" out of the water for a distance up to 33 feet. It consumes small fish, other mollusks, and crustaceans. The young dwell in shallow waters cloase to coasts about 1 to 3 feet while adults head to deeper water around reefs from 5 to 26 feet deep.
The second species The Bigfin Reef Squid (Sepioteuthis lessoniana) They are larger growing to 13 inches and only live about 315 days at most. They are found in temperate and tropical regions of the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean. And possibly contains several nearly identical species which means that this image may become out of date somewhat soon. It feeds on small fish and crustaceans and in turn it is fed upon by tuna, marlin, swordfish, and other predator fish. They are big in the fishing industry and are utilized by biomedical research as squid giant axons are used in research in neuroscience and physiology. It appears to be adapting to global warming by laying more eggs in warmer waters.
The Third species called the Southern Reef Squid (Sepioteuthis lessoniana) it is the larger species growing to a maximum of 15 inches. It is found in the waters around Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand. They are mainly nocturnal and live in small groups that hunt small fish and crustaceans
Left to Right: Loligo vulgaris, L. forbesii, L. reynaudii, Sepioteuthis lessoniana, S. sepioidea, S. australis