Latitudinal Difference in the Condition Factor of Two Loliginidae Squid (Beka Squid and Indian Squid) in China Seas

Abstract

Cephalopod fisheries in the China Seas have witnessed an increasing trend in the catches of coastal cephalopods since the 1990s, with Loliginidae squid emerging as the main commercial target species. However, climate change and overfishing have led to a dramatic reduction in Loliginidae squid resources, highlighting the need to improve monitoring, protection, and management of this species. The Loligo beka and Uroteuthis duvaucelii are widely distributed along the coastal areas of the China Seas, and have commercial and ecological importance. Despite having overlapping distributions, similar life histories, and a strong dependence on the marine environment, there is limited knowledge about their growth and responses to environmental changes, hindering the effective management of their resources. In this study, we investigated the interspecies and intra-species differences in condition factor and their responses to temperature changes by analyzing data collected from wide coastal areas of the China Seas from June 2019 to November 2020. The findings showed that both species exhibited allometric growth and reproduced throughout the year, with two main breeding peaks. There were significant monthly variations and latitude differences in the intra-species growth, with a higher proportion of small-sized individuals (between 5 and 10 g for L. beka and between 10 and 20 g for U. duvaucelii) in low-latitude waters. The latitudinal differences in body weight and distribution between and within the two species were mainly due to natural habitats, especially temperature. Our mixed effect model results demonstrated that both species’ body weight increased with increasing temperature, suggesting that Loliginidae squid have significant environmental adaptability and can be used as an indicator species for studying environmental changes in the China Seas. These findings have significant implications for understanding the population dynamics, species development, and regionally specific management of Loliginidae squid fisheries in the China Seas.