Ancistrocheirus alessandrinii

Cephalopods

Usual depth25–780 m
Water temperature13–28 °C
Best monthsAugust
How commonRare

About this species

Ancistrocheirus lesueurii, the sharpear enope squid, is the only species in the genus Ancistrocheirus and family Ancistrocheiridae. With a mantle length of 25 cm (9.8 in), this moderately sized squid may be found throughout the tropical and subtropical oceans. They tend to be found at mesopelagic depths.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Ancistrocheirus”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

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Best months

Worldwide (open data)

January: 4 records
February: 3 records
March: 4 records
April: 6 records
May: 6 records
June: 1 records
July: 8 records
August: 17 records
September: 9 records
October: 4 records
November: 2 records
December: 0 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 25–780 m · Deepest record: 1,875 m

10–20 m: 2 records
20–30 m: 6 records
30–40 m: 1 records
40–50 m: 0 records
50–60 m: 12 records
60–70 m: 5 records
70–80 m: 0 records
80–90 m: 1 records
90–100 m: 1 records
100–110 m: 2 records
110–120 m: 3 records
120+ m: 26 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 13–28 °C

12–14 °C: 1 records
14–16 °C: 3 records
16–18 °C: 4 records
18–20 °C: 5 records
20–22 °C: 1 records
22–24 °C: 21 records
24–26 °C: 11 records
26–28 °C: 15 records
28–30 °C: 3 records

Names and classification

Other scientific names: Loligo alessandrinii, Thelidioteuthis alessandrinii

Similar species

Sharpear enope squid
Ancistrocheirus lesueurii

Sources and credits

Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).

Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
64 open-data records from 1906 to 1982.
Species data updated October 27, 2026.

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