Cephalopods are the soft spot in seafood this quarter. The 20 indexed squid, cuttlefish and octopus lines fell 2.3% on average over the three months to 4 November 2026, even though the family is still 3.0% higher than a year ago. Fifteen fell and five rose. The family has 21 materials in all, one of them without an index.
European flying squid dropped 16.0% over three months and 6.8% over a year. Two cuttlefish lines followed: cuttlefish lost 13.9% and common cuttlefish 12.5%. Baby squid fell 7.4% and common squid 5.3%, though both remain above last year's levels, by 8.1% and 4.6%.
The risers form a tight group. Patagonian longfin squid came out on top, up 8.7% over the quarter and 18.4% on the year. Needle cuttlefish, kisslip cuttlefish, Japanese cuttlefish and pharaoh cuttlefish each gained 5.4% over the quarter and 9.8% on the year. These five are the family's only risers.
Octopus eased across the board. Octopus slipped 2.4%, common octopus 1.8%, and the reef, blanket and Mexican four-eyed lines 1.7% each. The octopus notes report that Galicia was running short on 19 September, while octopus had become more established on French coasts, particularly Brittany, and commercial flows to Spain were intensifying.
The squid notes, up to 2 November, report that prices on The Grocery Exchange fell week on week on 2 October as at-sea production resumed at full pace. A 20 October report said South Atlantic squid prices were rising and European buyers were rethinking sourcing.
Jumbo squid has a note but no index: Argentine illex prices were stable in China in week 44, it reported on 30 October. The northern shortfin squid note says shortfin squid catches had declined in Northeast US fisheries, as reported on 20 October.