California Market Squid Oregon Developmental Species California Market Squid Loligo opalescens Jean McCrae Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife 1994 Ecology California market squid are found on the west coast of North America from central Baja Cal-ifornia to southeastern Alaska. Spawning adults are generally found over sand or mud bottoms in 5 to 40 m of depth.
Little information is available on the distribution of juveniles.
At an age of 1 to 2 years, sexually maturing adults migrate seasonally to nearshore waters, form dense schools, mate, lay their eggs, and then die. Spawning can occur throughout the year, but the major activity takes place in the spring and early summer. Temperature of the water appears to have a significant influence on the timing and duration of spawning. Females will lay 20-30 egg capsules, anchor them to the substrate or previously laid capsules, forming dense clumps or layering the bottom. In Oregon samples, the number of eggs per capsule averaged under 100, significantly less than the 200-300 eggs per capsule observed in California.