Joubiniteuthis portieri

Cephalopods
IUCN: Least concern

Usual depth25–2,222 m
Water temperature14–30 °C
Best monthsApril
How commonRare

About this species

Joubiniteuthis portieri, also known as Joubin's squid from the monotypic family Joubiniteuthidae and genus Joubiniteuthis. It is a rare, small squid which occurs in the mesopelagic to bathypelagic zones and which has a worldwide distribution in tropical and subtropical regions. It is a distinctive squid having long arms which have numerous small suckers in six rows. There is little known about its biology. It is thought that it stays in the depths of the ocean with its arms outstretched, waiting for small animals to ensnare after they have accidentally swum into the arms. This species is named after Louis Joubin, a French zoologist. It is known to reach a mantle length of 9 cm (3.5 in).

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

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

Loading the map

Best months

Worldwide (open data)

January: 2 records
February: 2 records
March: 2 records
April: 7 records
May: 4 records
June: 4 records
July: 1 records
August: 1 records
September: 1 records
October: 0 records
November: 4 records
December: 1 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 25–2,222 m · Deepest record: 2,240.5 m

0–10 m: 1 records
10–20 m: 0 records
20–30 m: 1 records
30–40 m: 0 records
40–50 m: 0 records
50–60 m: 0 records
60–70 m: 0 records
70–80 m: 0 records
80–90 m: 0 records
90–100 m: 0 records
100–110 m: 0 records
110+ m: 14 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 14–30 °C

12–14 °C: 1 records
14–16 °C: 0 records
16–18 °C: 7 records
18–20 °C: 3 records
20–22 °C: 7 records
22–24 °C: 3 records
24–26 °C: 7 records
26–28 °C: 2 records
28–30 °C: 2 records

Names and classification

Names in 1 more languages

Japanese: オナガイカ

Other scientific names: Chiroteuthis portieri, Valdemaria danae

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.
Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
41 open-data records from 1971 to 2015.
Species data updated November 3, 2026.

Log what you see on your next dive

The free DiveHive diver app keeps your logbook with every sighting and shows what lives at the site you dive next.

Join the waitlist