Cuttlefish vs squid: which has more protein?
Full comparison · Protein · Calories · Healthier
Cuttlefish and squid have about the same protein: 16.2 g vs 15.6 g per 3.5 oz (100 g). The difference is per calorie: 20.6 g vs 16.9 g per 100 calories.
USDA FoodData Central.
| Cuttlefish | Squid | |
|---|---|---|
| Per 3.5 oz (100 g) | 16.2 g | 15.6 g |
| Per serving | 18.4 g in 4 oz (113 g) | 17.7 g in 4 oz (113 g) |
| Per 100 calories | 20.6 g | 16.9 g |
| To get 30 g of protein | 6.5 oz (185 g), about 1.6 × 4 oz | 6.8 oz (193 g), about 1.7 × 4 oz |
Protein per calorie
Per 100 calories, cuttlefish gives 20.6 g of protein and squid 16.9 g. This is the number that matters when you are fitting protein into a calorie budget, and it can rank foods differently from grams per 3.5 oz (100 g).
What the numbers don't tell you
On the plate these two are close. Both are lean, with about 16 g of protein per 3.5 oz (100 g) raw. Three numbers do split them. Squid carries about twice the cholesterol, 233 mg against 112. Cuttlefish carries far more sodium, 372 mg against 44, and lists 6.0 mg of iron against 0.7, though the UK food table gives it 3.4 mg.
The cholesterol worries people more than the data does. When 18 men with normal blood lipids ate a squid diet in place of other animal protein, their lipids did not change and HDL2 cholesterol rose. That was one small 1990 trial, and we found none on cuttlefish.
Among 45 Spanish patients already allergic to molluscs, 55% reacted to cephalopods, the group both animals belong to, and squid was the most frequent trigger. Tropomyosin appears to link this allergy to crustaceans and dust mites. If you react to one, ask an allergist before trying the other.
If you eat either raw, the FDA Food Code counts all mollusks as fish and asks restaurants and stores to freeze them first, at -4 °F (-20 °C) for 7 days. FDA also lists raw seafood among Listeria sources in pregnancy. In an Italian market survey, cadmium in squid exceeded the EU limit. Cuttlefish was not tested.
Without an allergy, choose by taste and price.
Evidence behind this note
- Level E The UK food table lists raw cuttlefish at 71 calories, 16.1 g protein, 0.7 g fat, 110 mg cholesterol, 65 micrograms selenium and 3.4 mg iron per 3.5 oz (100 g). CoFID 2021 (Public Health England), Cuttlefish, raw, code 16-254
- Level B In 18 normolipidemic men fed six shellfish species in turn, the squid diet left blood lipids unchanged despite carrying more cholesterol than the other shellfish, and it raised HDL2 cholesterol. Am J Clin Nutr, 1990
- Level C Among 45 patients with mollusc allergy in northern Spain, 25 (55%) reacted to cephalopods, squid most often of all, and tropomyosin carried the cross-reactivity with dust mites and crustaceans. J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol, 2024
- Level C Among 45 Spanish patients with mollusc allergy, 55 percent reacted to cephalopods such as squid and cuttlefish, 69 percent had systemic reactions, and tropomyosin explained cross-reactions with crustaceans and dust mites. J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol, 2024
- Level E The FDA Food Code counts all mollusks as fish and requires raw or partially cooked fish served ready-to-eat to be frozen first, at -20°C (-4°F) for 7 days or at -35°C (-31°F) until solid and then 15 hours. Its exemption for molluscan shellfish covers only oysters, clams, mussels and scallops. FDA Food Code 2026, 1-201.10(B) Definitions (Fish, Molluscan shellfish) and 3-402.11 Parasite Destruction
- Level E FDA lists raw or smoked fish and other seafood among foods that can carry Listeria, and pregnant women are about 10 times more likely to get listeriosis than other healthy adults. US FDA, Listeria (Food Safety for Moms-to-Be)
- Level C In Italian seafood tested for heavy metals, cadmium in squid exceeded the EU maximum level, while mercury stayed far below limits in squid compared with predatory fish. Food Addit Contam Part A Chem Anal Control Expo Risk Assess, 2012
Written from the studies and agency guidance we hold for both foods, reviewed by the Bioma editorial system. How we verify.
Keep exploring
Read more about these foods
- Cuttlefish: lean protein, plenty of selenium, and a mollusc allergy to respect
- Squid: more cholesterol than other shellfish, and blood lipids that did not move
Rankings and guides
- Which foods are highest in protein?
- Which foods give the most protein for the fewest calories?
- How much protein do you need per day?
- Protein: what it does and how much you need
- Protein: top food sources and Daily Value
More comparisons
Where the numbers come from
- Cuttlefish: USDA FoodData Central, Mollusks, cuttlefish, mixed species, raw, FDC ID 174215 · all forms of cuttlefish
- Squid: USDA FoodData Central, Mollusks, squid, mixed species, raw, FDC ID 174223 · all forms of squid
Each food is one USDA entry, chosen as it is usually eaten. Other cuts, brands and preparations differ; the links show them. % DV uses FDA Daily Values for adults. How we verify.