Where does the Purpleback Squid live?
Sthenoteuthis oualaniensis has 481 records in 37 countries and territories, from 1888 to 2026. Most records come from Kiribati.
- 481 records
- 37 places
- 68 years recorded
- Cephalopoda class
AnimaliaMolluscaCephalopodaOegopsidaOmmastrephidaeSthenoteuthis
When it is recorded
JFMAMJJASOND
Peak month: July. Records cluster in the months an animal is present and being looked for, so a summer peak can reflect observer effort as much as the animal.
Where it is recorded
| Place | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Kiribati | 115 | |
| China | 65 | |
| Mexico | 55 | |
| United States | 44 | |
| Australia | 26 | |
| Costa Rica | 24 | |
| Indonesia | 13 | |
| Norfolk Island | 12 | |
| Philippines | 11 | |
| Ecuador | 9 | |
| Guatemala | 9 | |
| New Caledonia | 9 | |
| French Polynesia | 8 | |
| ZZ | 8 | |
| Colombia | 5 | |
| France | 5 | |
| Mozambique | 5 | |
| India | 4 | |
| Marshall Islands | 4 | |
| New Zealand | 4 | |
| El Salvador | 4 | |
| Chile | 2 | |
| Micronesia | 2 | |
| Panama | 2 | |
| Réunion | 2 | |
| Thailand | 2 | |
| Egypt | 1 | |
| Guam | 1 | |
| Japan | 1 | |
| Mauritania | 1 | |
| Maldives | 1 | |
| Malaysia | 1 | |
| Nicaragua | 1 | |
| Oman | 1 | |
| Papua New Guinea | 1 | |
| Taiwan | 1 | |
| United States Minor Outlying Islands | 1 |
Related animals
Others in the family Ommastrephidae.
Status from the records: resident
Recorded across many years and months — an established presence. This is inferred from how many years and months the animal appears in, not from a range map — treat it as evidence, not a formal assessment.
Recorded across many years and months — an established presence. This is inferred from how many years and months the animal appears in, not from a range map — treat it as evidence, not a formal assessment.