Mantle muscular tapers to pointed tail. Fins broad. Orange to pink over body, with a darker maroon strip down the mid line. can flash greenish over eyes.

Breeding is thought to be on the shelf in less than 200m water, Juveniles are found in coastal waters. Adults deeper to 500m.

Opportunistic generalist predator, feeding upon crustaceans, fish and squid. Can be cannibalistic.

A short lived (<1year) terminal spawner. Spawning grounds unknown. Restricted to the south island and the subantarctic islands. Feeds on small fish, crustaceans, molluscs and is a cannibal.
Commercially harvested with Goulds Arrow Squid. Current quota for both species is about 127,000 tonnes.

http://www.fao.org/fishery/species/3568/en accessed 12/04/14 McKinnon, J. F. (2007). Aspects of the population biology of the southern arrow squid, Nototodarus sloanii, in southern New Zealand (Thesis, Doctor of Philosophy). University of Otago. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/10523/544