Know... The Master of the Arabian Sea - Purple-Back Flying Squid Sthenoteuthis oualaniensis. NAIP Booklet

Sthenoteuthis oualaniensis (Lesson, 1830) commonly known as the Indo-Pacific purple-back flying squid, is a true ocean dweller widely distributed in the equatorial and tropical waters of Indo-Pacific region. The oceanic squids unlike the neretic squids have a pelagic lifestyle in the open ocean and are rarely encountered in the commercial catches from inshore waters. The squid is characterized by a wide ecological amplitude, complex intraspecific structure, high growth rate, high fecundity, short life cycle, high natural mortality, and significant production. These large oceanic squids completely monopolize the trophic niche of the top predators in the Arabian Sea and therefore is known as the Master of the Arabian Sea.