REVIEW OF THE SYSTEMATICS AND ECOLOGY OF OCEANIC SQUIDS
159
of 25.0 cm. While Sasaki (1929a) found that 8 specimens from 8.2 to
22.0 cm were immature, most of the specimens removed from stomachs
of Sperm whales taken off the Aleutians and in the Gulf of Alaska
were found to be mature with mantle lengths of 20.0-25.0 cm (Okutani
and Nemoto, 1964).
The species has been collected from stomachs of Sperm whales
(Akimushkin, 1955; Okutani and Nemoto, 1964), northern fur seals
(Panina, 1964; Fiscusetal., 1965) and Albatrossiapectoralis (Sasaki, 1920).
B. Gonatopsis
1. Gonatopsis borealis Sasaki, 1923
Originally described from Japan (Sasaki, 1923, 1929a) this species
has also been recorded from the central and north Bering Sea, near
the Aleutian Islands and in the Gulf of Alaska (Okutani and Nemoto,
1964; Akimushkin, 1957) off California (Rice, 1963) and off Oregon
(Pearcy, 1965). It occurs not infrequently off Japan and is important
in the diet of Sperm whales off California and the Bering Sea region.
Okutani and Nemoto (1964) considered that the specimens from
the Bering Sea region should be regarded as a subspecies (G. b. makko),
distinct from the Japanese form and they described the distribution
as probably in the bathypelagic zone of the northern North Pacific.
2. Gonatopsis octopedatus Sasaki, 1920
Only known from near Cape Patience (Sakhalin Islands) at 48'
22.5" 145'43.5'E (Sasaki, 1920, 1929a). The type was immature
with a mantle length of 6.5 cm. Some authors have regarded this as
identical with, or a race of, G . borealis (e.g. Grimpe, 1933).
VI. THYSANOTEUTHIDAE
A. Thysanoteuthis
1. Thysanoteuthis rhombus Troschel, 1857
Thysanoteuthis elegans Troschel, 1857
Thysanoteuthis nuchulis Pfeffer, 1912
A rare species which is probably cosmopolitan in warmer waters
and is usually considered to be the only one of the genus. It has been
recorded in the eastern North Atlantic (Rees and Maul, 1956; Clarke,
1962b), the western North Atlantic (Voss and Erdman, 1959), the
Mediterranean (Troschel, 1857; Vigelius, 1880; Weiss, 1889; Jatta, 1896;
Pfeffer, 1912; Issel, 1920a; Naef, 1923; Degner, 1925; Sanzo, 1929),
the South Atlantic off the Cape of Good Hope (Barnard, 1934, 1947),
from Ningpo in China (Pfeffer, 1912) and from both sides of the main
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159
of 25.0 cm. While Sasaki (1929a) found that 8 specimens from 8.2 to
22.0 cm were immature, most of the specimens removed from stomachs
of Sperm whales taken off the Aleutians and in the Gulf of Alaska
were found to be mature with mantle lengths of 20.0-25.0 cm (Okutani
and Nemoto, 1964).
The species has been collected from stomachs of Sperm whales
(Akimushkin, 1955; Okutani and Nemoto, 1964), northern fur seals
(Panina, 1964; Fiscusetal., 1965) and Albatrossiapectoralis (Sasaki, 1920).
B. Gonatopsis
1. Gonatopsis borealis Sasaki, 1923
Originally described from Japan (Sasaki, 1923, 1929a) this species
has also been recorded from the central and north Bering Sea, near
the Aleutian Islands and in the Gulf of Alaska (Okutani and Nemoto,
1964; Akimushkin, 1957) off California (Rice, 1963) and off Oregon
(Pearcy, 1965). It occurs not infrequently off Japan and is important
in the diet of Sperm whales off California and the Bering Sea region.
Okutani and Nemoto (1964) considered that the specimens from
the Bering Sea region should be regarded as a subspecies (G. b. makko),
distinct from the Japanese form and they described the distribution
as probably in the bathypelagic zone of the northern North Pacific.
2. Gonatopsis octopedatus Sasaki, 1920
Only known from near Cape Patience (Sakhalin Islands) at 48'
22.5" 145'43.5'E (Sasaki, 1920, 1929a). The type was immature
with a mantle length of 6.5 cm. Some authors have regarded this as
identical with, or a race of, G . borealis (e.g. Grimpe, 1933).
VI. THYSANOTEUTHIDAE
A. Thysanoteuthis
1. Thysanoteuthis rhombus Troschel, 1857
Thysanoteuthis elegans Troschel, 1857
Thysanoteuthis nuchulis Pfeffer, 1912
A rare species which is probably cosmopolitan in warmer waters
and is usually considered to be the only one of the genus. It has been
recorded in the eastern North Atlantic (Rees and Maul, 1956; Clarke,
1962b), the western North Atlantic (Voss and Erdman, 1959), the
Mediterranean (Troschel, 1857; Vigelius, 1880; Weiss, 1889; Jatta, 1896;
Pfeffer, 1912; Issel, 1920a; Naef, 1923; Degner, 1925; Sanzo, 1929),
the South Atlantic off the Cape of Good Hope (Barnard, 1934, 1947),
from Ningpo in China (Pfeffer, 1912) and from both sides of the main
H*