[3] It has narrow fins and a moderately small, ovate shell that is white, with a brown and polished horny margin.

[3] When selecting a mate, males raise a pair of dorsal arms, and display a dark brown color featuring white and orange spots on their fins.

[3] The egg capsules of S. inermis are black in color, dyed by ink from the female, and are round, containing a tip and a stalk.

[3] At around 3 days of age, hatchlings enter the benthic juvenile stage, and use their arms to hold onto the sea bottom.

[3] This species is highly tolerant to fluctuations in the environment, and because of their tendency to benthic-pelagic habitats, requires less territory than pelagic squid of a similar size.

Although the percentage caught varies depending on geographical location and time of year, they commonly make up a majority of all cephalopod catch.

They are exploited all year long, with the percent catch typically decreasing in summer months because many species spawn in late spring.