Squids and Squid Egg masses 

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COMMON ENGLISH SQUIDS
Loligo forbesii
Loligo vulgaris
Alloteuthis subulata
Alloteuthis media

 

Other species sometimes encountered in UK waters are the Newfoundland Squid, Illex illecebrosus, the Hard Squid, Todarodes sagittatus, and the Soft Squid, Todaropsis eblanae. The Cuttlefish. Sepia officinalis, when it occurs in the UK catch, is included in squid landings for statistical purposes, although it is not a true squid.

 

Information on the biology of Squids in UK waters

British Cuttlefish (Link)

Cephalopods of The World (Link)

 

 

Identification guide for shelf cephalopods in the UK waters (North Sea, the English Channel, Celtic and Irish Seas)

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North Sea

 

20 March 2018

Illex coindetii

Photograph by Hans Hillewaert

 

2 March 2015

 

 

I was walking along this Yellowcraig Beach in Dirleton, North Berwick, Scotland and came across two squid washed up dead on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth.

Report & Photograph by Amanda Gray

6 April 2013
A wreck of seabirds and crustaceans and other animals washed up dead on a Yorkshire shore at North Bay Beach, Scarborough included one of the more unusual squids in British seas. It is thought most likely to be the Hard Squid, Todarodes sagittatus. The total length of the squid was estimated at 60 cm. This is the first report of this squid on these News Reports.

Report by Steven Wignill on Scarborough Birders facebook

 

 

Hard Squid, Todarodes sagittatus
Photograph by Steven Wignill

Information on the biology of Squids in UK waters

18 December 2006 This one metre long squid was found on the beach at Chalkwell, near Southend, Essex. Photograph by Philip Jones Report by Phil Stubbs It is almost certainly one of the Loligo species.

July 2006   Squid eggs attached to Kelp Taken at St. Abbs last summer - eggs all over the place. I also occasionally see squid - not sure if they are the species that lay the eggs because they look too small Forum Message   Report and Photograph by Jim Greenfield on the  Marine Wildlife of the North-east Atlantic Ocean "Smart Group"

England Channel
 

16 April 2003  These eggs most likely belong to Loligo vulgaris (Loligo forbesi is also a possibility but Loligo vulgaris is more likely) from off Guernsey.  (I don't know how the eggs differ. AH)  Report by Richard Lord Photograph     ©  by Richard Lord     See the close-ups below ©  by Richard Lord

Embryos ©  by Richard Lord	Larva ©  by Richard Lord

The two species above were discovered on Shoreham Beach.

May 2000

I haven't really got going with diving yet but somebody who dives regularly locally seems to be seeing squid.  He has seen three this year, one on the Royal Adelaide off Chesil Beach and the other 2 on the East Tennants in Lyme Bay.
The Lyme Harbourmaster reports that many fishermen are finding eggs in their pots.  Have you any reports suggesting unusual squid activity?

Cheers

Peter Glanvill

These eggs have not been identified to species level.

This page is still incomplete.

It's like the head of an old-fashioned string floor mop. The diameter of the 'mop' head is about 25 cm. The densely packed 'strings' are the thickness of an earthworm and about 10 cm long each from the centre of the 'mop'.  The colour is a very pretty pale coral pink and white.   Have you any ideas?  It is rare?
 

Eggs of squids are frequently washed up on the shore in late spring

The most recent one I saw was on the Ferry Road beach (just west of the beach directly opposite Ferry Road) on the sand at low tide.

Bobtail Squid, Rossia macrosoma.