Northern shortfin squid Illex illecebrosus |
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Dorsal view | |
Lateral view | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Mollusca |
Class: | Cephalopoda |
Order: | Teuthida |
Family: | Ommastrephidae |
Genus: | Illex |
Species: | I. illecebrosus |
Binomial name | |
Illex illecebrosus (Lesueur, 1821) |
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Synonyms | |
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Illex illecebrosus, commonly known as the northern shortfin squid or Boston squid, is a species of neritic squids in the family Ommastrephidae. They are found in the northwest Atlantic Ocean, from off the coast of eastern North America to Greenland, Iceland, and west of Ireland and the United Kingdom. They are a highly migratory and short-lived species, with lifespans of less than a year. They are commercially important and are fished extensively (primarily by the United States and Canada), mostly for the Canadian and Japanese markets.