Skip to content

DiscoverSpeciesCephalopods

Cape Hope squid

Loligo reynaudii

  • Cephalopods
  • IUCN: Least concern
  • Usual depth64–205 m
  • Water temperature15–22 °C
  • Best monthsSeptember, October, and December
  • How commonCommon
All species

Photo credit: (c) Martin Scheuch, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist

About this species

Loligo reynaudii, commonly known as the Cape Hope squid or chokka squid, is a 20–30 cm (7.9–11.8 in) long squid belonging to the family Loliginidae. In South Africa it is known as either calamari or chokka.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Loligo reynaudii”, 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: 2,557 records
  • February: 1,576 records
  • March: 1,943 records
  • April: 1,912 records
  • May: 2,012 records
  • June: 2,325 records
  • July: 2,679 records
  • August: 2,797 records
  • September: 3,404 records
  • October: 3,315 records
  • November: 1,538 records
  • December: 3,960 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 64–205 m · Deepest record: 376 m

  • 20–30 m: 1 records
  • 30–40 m: 9 records
  • 40–50 m: 14 records
  • 50–60 m: 17 records
  • 60–70 m: 25 records
  • 70–80 m: 25 records
  • 80–90 m: 57 records
  • 90–100 m: 30 records
  • 100–110 m: 45 records
  • 110–120 m: 52 records
  • 120–130 m: 15 records
  • 130+ m: 185 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 15–22 °C

  • 14–16 °C: 2 records
  • 16–18 °C: 60 records
  • 18–20 °C: 794 records
  • 20–22 °C: 35 records
  • 22–24 °C: 1 records

Names and classification

English
Cape Hope squid, Chokker squid, Calamari, Chokka Squid, chokker squid
Names in 4 more languages
German
Kap-Kalmar
Spanish
Calamar del Cabo
French
calmar du Cap
Japanese
アフリカヤリイカ

Similar species

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).
  • 30,000 open-data records from 1983 to 2006.
  • Species data updated November 4, 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

DiveHive uses necessary cookies to work. With your permission we also use analytics to see which pages help. Analytics is off until you say yes, and we never record what you type.

  • NecessaryAlways on: your choice, security.Always on
  • AnalyticsOff unless you accept.Off
Privacy policy