REVIEW OF THE SYSTEMATICS AND ECOLOQY OF OCEANIC SQUIDS
145
methods; while size histograms derived from net hauls (Degner, 1925)
have a mode of 6.0-8-0 cm in July and 4.0-5.0 cm in August, those
derived from tuna stomachs in the same two months have modes of
1-0-2.0 cm and 2.0-3.0 cm respectively. These were, however, in
different years although the general geographical region was the same.
The largest recorded male is 8.1 cm (Voss, 1956b), the largest
female is 28.3 cm (Sasaki, 1916) and the largest unsexed specimen
is 29.0 cm (Sasaki, 1929a) in mantle length. A female of 10.8 cm
(mantle length) is described as almost adult (Naef, 1923) and one
of 14.0 cm had nidamental glands 2.3x0.7 cm so that, it too was
probably nearing sexual maturity. No arm is specially modified to
form a hectocotylus and the sexes cannot be distinguished by external
appearance. Adam (1960~) reported that the spermatophores in his
largest male were 23.5% of the mantle in length.
The bite of this squid is toxic and resembles a wasp sting in its
effect (Clarke unpublished); this fact and the large hooks on the
tentacle suggest that active and possibly large prey are taken.
The species is important in the diet of Germ0 alalunga (Bouxin and
Legendre, 1936) and has been recovered from stomachs of ling (Dell,
1952), Alepisaurus ferox (Rees and Maul, 1956), Gadus mrhua (Jaeckel,
1958), Sperm whales (Beteshava and Akimushkin, 1956; Rice, 1963),
Bottlenose whales (Rice, 1963-possibly Moroteuthis) the White whale
(Heptner, 1930) and the Laysan Albatross (Berry, 1914a).
It is dried and sold commercially for human consumption at times
in Japan (Sasaki, 1929a).
B. Moroteuthis
1. Moroteuthis aequatorialis Thiele, 1921
This species is only known from the type specimen found dead near
the surface at 0' 16"
18'7'W (Fig. 21). It is a large squid having a
dorsal mantle length of 40-0 cm.
2. Moroteuthis ingens (Smith, 1881)
Onychoteuthis ingens Smith 1881
Although few specimens seem to have reached museums this
species is by no means uncommon in Antarctic waters (Fig. 21) and
forms a principal part of the diet of Sperm whales (Clarke, R. 1956;
Clark, M. R., unpublished notes). Its distribution extends from Patagonia (Smith, 1881; Pfeffer, 1912), the S. Orkneys (Hoyle, 1912) and a
doubtful record from New Zealand (Massy, 1916c) to high southern
latitudes (Discovery collections). As all the specimens known have been
145
methods; while size histograms derived from net hauls (Degner, 1925)
have a mode of 6.0-8-0 cm in July and 4.0-5.0 cm in August, those
derived from tuna stomachs in the same two months have modes of
1-0-2.0 cm and 2.0-3.0 cm respectively. These were, however, in
different years although the general geographical region was the same.
The largest recorded male is 8.1 cm (Voss, 1956b), the largest
female is 28.3 cm (Sasaki, 1916) and the largest unsexed specimen
is 29.0 cm (Sasaki, 1929a) in mantle length. A female of 10.8 cm
(mantle length) is described as almost adult (Naef, 1923) and one
of 14.0 cm had nidamental glands 2.3x0.7 cm so that, it too was
probably nearing sexual maturity. No arm is specially modified to
form a hectocotylus and the sexes cannot be distinguished by external
appearance. Adam (1960~) reported that the spermatophores in his
largest male were 23.5% of the mantle in length.
The bite of this squid is toxic and resembles a wasp sting in its
effect (Clarke unpublished); this fact and the large hooks on the
tentacle suggest that active and possibly large prey are taken.
The species is important in the diet of Germ0 alalunga (Bouxin and
Legendre, 1936) and has been recovered from stomachs of ling (Dell,
1952), Alepisaurus ferox (Rees and Maul, 1956), Gadus mrhua (Jaeckel,
1958), Sperm whales (Beteshava and Akimushkin, 1956; Rice, 1963),
Bottlenose whales (Rice, 1963-possibly Moroteuthis) the White whale
(Heptner, 1930) and the Laysan Albatross (Berry, 1914a).
It is dried and sold commercially for human consumption at times
in Japan (Sasaki, 1929a).
B. Moroteuthis
1. Moroteuthis aequatorialis Thiele, 1921
This species is only known from the type specimen found dead near
the surface at 0' 16"
18'7'W (Fig. 21). It is a large squid having a
dorsal mantle length of 40-0 cm.
2. Moroteuthis ingens (Smith, 1881)
Onychoteuthis ingens Smith 1881
Although few specimens seem to have reached museums this
species is by no means uncommon in Antarctic waters (Fig. 21) and
forms a principal part of the diet of Sperm whales (Clarke, R. 1956;
Clark, M. R., unpublished notes). Its distribution extends from Patagonia (Smith, 1881; Pfeffer, 1912), the S. Orkneys (Hoyle, 1912) and a
doubtful record from New Zealand (Massy, 1916c) to high southern
latitudes (Discovery collections). As all the specimens known have been