| Loligo | |
|---|---|
| European Squid (Loligo vulgaris) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Cephalopoda |
| Order: | Teuthida |
| Family: | Loliginidae |
| Genus: | Loligo Lamarck, 1798 |
| Species | |
|
See text |
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Loligo is a genus of squids and one of the most representative and widely distributed groups of myopsid squids.
The genus was first described by Jean Baptiste Lamarck in 1798. However, the name had been used earlier than Lamarck (Schneider, 1784; Linnaeus, 1758) and might even have been used by Pliny. In the early nineteenth century, this generic name was often used as a grouping for all true squids.
All three species of Loligo are extensively exploited by commercial fisheries. Loligo vulgaris and others are noted for being attracted to night light; they are therefore fished using different light attraction methods.
The recent classification of Vecchione et al. (2005)[1] and the Tree of Life Web Project (2010)[2] recognises only three species within Loligo, many others having been split off in other loliginid genera.