160
MALCOLM R. CLARKE
Onychia binotutu Pfeffer, 1884
Steemtrupiola atlantim Pfeffer, 1884
Teleoteuthis (Onychia) agilis Verrill, 1885s
Teleoteuthis Jattae Joubin, 1900
Cranchia cardioptera d'orbigny, 1926 after d'Orbigny 1835-1848
(re-examined by VOS5, 1956b)
Specimens which are very probably this species have been taken in
the Gulf of Mexico (Lesueur, 1821; Voss, 1966b), Florida (Voss, 1966a),
Chesapeake Bay (Verrill, 1885a), the North Atlantic as far north as
47" North (Girard, 189213; Joubin, 1895b, 1900; Hoyle, 1906; Pfeffer,
1912; Thiele, 1921), between St. Thomas and Bermuda (Hoyle, 1886a),
and Jatta (1896) recorded it from the Mediterranean but Pfeffer (1912)
considered that the specimen referred to was possibly a young Abralia
and Hoyle (1906) considered that this locality needed confirmation.
In the South Atlantic it has been taken as far south as 38"s (Pfeffer,
1912) and South Africa (Voss, 1962e). Possible records extend much
further afield (Fig. 22) and include Zanzibar, Bengal, N. Celebes,
Wytotake (Lagos Is.) and the South Sea (Pfeffer, 1912). A record from
the North Pacific (Hoyle, 1886a) was only doubtfully assigned to the
species. Thus, the distribution pretty definitely includes a large part
of the Atlantic but records elsewhere are, to some extent, doubtful.
Nearly all the specimens have been taken a t or near the surface;
on the few occasions they have been taken in nets lowered to any great
depth these were non-closing nets which probably caught them near the
surface. They have sometimes been taken in hand nets during the day
from Discovery I I in the North Atlantic and are the only species of
pelagic squid the adults of which are normally caught at the surface
during daylight hours. In life they have a general blue appearance
and the dorsal chromatophores are almost black, making them very
inconspicuous from above. In preservative such as formal saline the
blue colouration is lost.
Although several have been caught in the course of a few minutes,
no shoaling behaviour has been observed by the author.
During growth the arms and tentacles and head become relatively
longer, the body becomes relatively narrower and the fins become
relatively longer (Fig. 20, B).
Adults are small, the largest recorded specimen having a mantle
length of 3.6 cm. (The type specimen was erroneously given as 4.6 cm
but this was corrected by Pfeffer, 1912; Verrill's (1885a) specimen
was given as 4.6 cm in the description but 3.0 cm in the Plate).
None of the arms have been shown to be modified as a hectocotylus.
MALCOLM R. CLARKE
Onychia binotutu Pfeffer, 1884
Steemtrupiola atlantim Pfeffer, 1884
Teleoteuthis (Onychia) agilis Verrill, 1885s
Teleoteuthis Jattae Joubin, 1900
Cranchia cardioptera d'orbigny, 1926 after d'Orbigny 1835-1848
(re-examined by VOS5, 1956b)
Specimens which are very probably this species have been taken in
the Gulf of Mexico (Lesueur, 1821; Voss, 1966b), Florida (Voss, 1966a),
Chesapeake Bay (Verrill, 1885a), the North Atlantic as far north as
47" North (Girard, 189213; Joubin, 1895b, 1900; Hoyle, 1906; Pfeffer,
1912; Thiele, 1921), between St. Thomas and Bermuda (Hoyle, 1886a),
and Jatta (1896) recorded it from the Mediterranean but Pfeffer (1912)
considered that the specimen referred to was possibly a young Abralia
and Hoyle (1906) considered that this locality needed confirmation.
In the South Atlantic it has been taken as far south as 38"s (Pfeffer,
1912) and South Africa (Voss, 1962e). Possible records extend much
further afield (Fig. 22) and include Zanzibar, Bengal, N. Celebes,
Wytotake (Lagos Is.) and the South Sea (Pfeffer, 1912). A record from
the North Pacific (Hoyle, 1886a) was only doubtfully assigned to the
species. Thus, the distribution pretty definitely includes a large part
of the Atlantic but records elsewhere are, to some extent, doubtful.
Nearly all the specimens have been taken a t or near the surface;
on the few occasions they have been taken in nets lowered to any great
depth these were non-closing nets which probably caught them near the
surface. They have sometimes been taken in hand nets during the day
from Discovery I I in the North Atlantic and are the only species of
pelagic squid the adults of which are normally caught at the surface
during daylight hours. In life they have a general blue appearance
and the dorsal chromatophores are almost black, making them very
inconspicuous from above. In preservative such as formal saline the
blue colouration is lost.
Although several have been caught in the course of a few minutes,
no shoaling behaviour has been observed by the author.
During growth the arms and tentacles and head become relatively
longer, the body becomes relatively narrower and the fins become
relatively longer (Fig. 20, B).
Adults are small, the largest recorded specimen having a mantle
length of 3.6 cm. (The type specimen was erroneously given as 4.6 cm
but this was corrected by Pfeffer, 1912; Verrill's (1885a) specimen
was given as 4.6 cm in the description but 3.0 cm in the Plate).
None of the arms have been shown to be modified as a hectocotylus.