Akaika

About this species

The neon flying squid, sometimes called the red flying squid, akaika, and red squid is a species of large flying squid in the family Ommastrephidae. They are found in subtropical and temperate oceanic waters globally.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Neon flying squid”, 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: 3 records
February: 12 records
March: 4 records
April: 14 records
May: 4 records
June: 3 records
July: 5 records
August: 13 records
September: 7 records
October: 3 records
November: 10 records
December: 7 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 560–1,101 m · Deepest record: 2,809 m

30–40 m: 1 records
40–50 m: 0 records
50–60 m: 1 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
110–120 m: 0 records
120–130 m: 1 records
130–140 m: 0 records
140+ m: 1,108 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 5–29 °C

4–6 °C: 1 records
6–8 °C: 7 records
8–10 °C: 34 records
10–12 °C: 51 records
12–14 °C: 131 records
14–16 °C: 378 records
16–18 °C: 237 records
18–20 °C: 31 records
20–22 °C: 28 records
22–24 °C: 12 records
24–26 °C: 11 records
26–28 °C: 9 records
28–30 °C: 3 records

Photos

(c) cello caruso-turiello, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by cello caruso-turiello · CC BY · iNaturalist
(c) cello caruso-turiello, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by cello caruso-turiello · CC BY · iNaturalist
(c) NOAA Photo Library, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
(c) cello caruso-turiello, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist

Names and classification

English: Akaika, Neon flying squid, Red flying squid, Red squid, akaika, flying squid, neon flying squid, red flying squid, red ocean squid, red squid

Names in 6 more languages

German: Fliegender Kalmar, Flugkalmar, Pfeikalmar, Pfeilkalmar, Roter Flugkalmar
Spanish: pota saltadora
French: encornet volant
Japanese: アカイカ
Korean: 빨강오징어
Simplified Chinese: Bā-Shì-Róu-Yú, 巴氏柔魚, 赤魷

Other scientific names: Loligo bartramii, Loligo touchardii, Ommastrephes bartrami, Ommatostrephes bartramii

Similar species

New Zealand arrow squid
Nototodarus sloanii
Gould's flying squid
Nototodarus gouldi
Purpleback flying squid
Sthenoteuthis oualaniensis
Luminous flying squid
Eucleoteuthis luminosa
Glass squid
Hyaloteuthis pelagica
Hawaiian flying squid
Nototodarus hawaiiensis

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).
1,303 open-data records from 1884 to 2024.
Species data updated November 5, 2026.