Advances in defining the life histories of myopsid squid

Recent years have seen the emergence of extensive studies of myopsid squid growth of the family Loliginidae. This has greatly advanced our understanding of their life histories. Growth data have accumulated from both statolith-based field studies and culture work. Validation studies on loliginids continue to support that statolith increments are laid down daily. Ageing work has also revealed that short lifespans are typical, with nine of the 21 species studied having lifespans < 200 days, eight species with lifespans between 200 days and about 1 year and only three species with lifespans > 1 year. While growth is continuous and non-asymptotic, the marked plasticity in size-at-age has hindered the development of a general model to describe squid growth. Many loliginids are multiple spawners that continue to feed while growing and reproducing, although there has been some documented loss of conditon in mature individuals. An exception is Loligo opalescens, which has a terminal spawning strategy with a marked loss of condition and post-spawning mortality. Quantification of the cost of living and the energetics of loliginids are likely to be best achieved by combining field and culture studies on a species such as the Indo-Pacific squid Sepioteuthis lessoniana.