Doryteuthis Plei - Ecology

Ecology

Due to their abundance, slender inshore squid are important to both commercial and subsistence fisheries. During the annual summer mating season, the squid congregate in large numbers near shore. During the austral summer in waters off Brazil, annual catches may reach 763 metric tonnes.

While there may be safety in their numbers, the squid are an important prey item for large fish such as tuna and sharks and a number of cetaceans: pygmy killer whales, orcas, Atlantic spotted dolphins, rough-toothed dolphins, and bottlenose dolphins are all known predators of slender inshore squid. Other predators include South African and Antarctic fur seals.

The squid prey upon several species of estuarine fish, including: killifish, mosquitofish and mollies. Small crustaceans such as grass shrimp are also taken.

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