194
MALCOLM R. CLARKE
A. Histioteuthis
The genus is now thought to contain but one species with a number
of synonyms.
1. Histioteuthis bonellii F&ussac, 1835
Cranchia Bonelliana FQrussac, 1835
Histioteuthis Ruppellii Vdrany, 1851
Histioteuthis Collimi Verrill, 1879a
Histiopsis atlanticu Hoyle, 1885a
Histioteuthis bonelliana d’orbigny, 1835-1848
A widely distributed species (Fig. 38) which has been recorded
from the western Mediterranean a t Nice (Fhrussac, 1835; VBrany, 1851;
Risso, 1854; d’orbigny, 1845; Weiss, 1889; Joubin, 1893a; Pfeffer, 1912),
San Remo (Joubin, 1893a), the Ligurian Sea (Arbocco, 1958), Naples
(Jatta, 1896; Naef, 1923), Gulf of Nisida (Naef, 1923), Messina (Naef,
1923), Capri (Bianco, 1903) and eastern Spain (Lozano y Rey, 1905;
Morales, 1962), from the eastern North Atlantic (Joubin, 1900, 1924;
Fischer and Joubin, 1907; Massy, 1907,1909; Degner, 1925; Bouxin and
Legendre, 1936; Rees and Maul, 1956; R. Clarke, 1956; Sacarriio, 1957;
Clarke, 1962a), from the western North Atlantic (Verrill, 1879a, 1882c),
from South Africa (Robson, 1924c, 1926c), the South Atlantic (Hoyle,
1886a), and the south Indian Ocean (Thiele, 1921; Dell, 1959a).
The species is usually thought to live at about 1400 m but there
is little evidence for this because all specimens have been taken with
open nets, from stomachs of predators or dead-at the surface. It has
been taken in nets put to a minimum of 130-150 m (Massy, 1907) and
a maximum of 4 000 m (Joubin, 1924). One was dredged a t 680 m
(Verrill, 1882c) so that it seems likely they sometimes, a t least, go
near the bottom at about 700 m. The majority have been caught with
nets fished a t 500-1 500 m. They are always caught in ones and twos
although from Sperm whale stomach contents one would get the
impression that they shoaled (Clarke, 1962a).
From the few small stages known (Hoyle, 1886a; Massy, 1907, 1909;
Pfeffer, 1912; Naef, 1923; Degner, 1925) it appears that growth is
isometric in this species, the young closely resembling the adult in
proportion (Fig. 39). The most obvious diagnostic features of the
species (the umbrella and the “ end organs ” on the arms) are present
a t a mantle length of only 1.1 cm (Grimpe and Hoffmann, 1921;
Degner, 1922). Both sexes have been caught but few specimens have
been sexed. A female, 9.0 cm in mantle length, was mature (Robson,
1926~). The largest recorded specimen, a male, has a mantle
length of 33.0 cm (Morales, 1962).
MALCOLM R. CLARKE
A. Histioteuthis
The genus is now thought to contain but one species with a number
of synonyms.
1. Histioteuthis bonellii F&ussac, 1835
Cranchia Bonelliana FQrussac, 1835
Histioteuthis Ruppellii Vdrany, 1851
Histioteuthis Collimi Verrill, 1879a
Histiopsis atlanticu Hoyle, 1885a
Histioteuthis bonelliana d’orbigny, 1835-1848
A widely distributed species (Fig. 38) which has been recorded
from the western Mediterranean a t Nice (Fhrussac, 1835; VBrany, 1851;
Risso, 1854; d’orbigny, 1845; Weiss, 1889; Joubin, 1893a; Pfeffer, 1912),
San Remo (Joubin, 1893a), the Ligurian Sea (Arbocco, 1958), Naples
(Jatta, 1896; Naef, 1923), Gulf of Nisida (Naef, 1923), Messina (Naef,
1923), Capri (Bianco, 1903) and eastern Spain (Lozano y Rey, 1905;
Morales, 1962), from the eastern North Atlantic (Joubin, 1900, 1924;
Fischer and Joubin, 1907; Massy, 1907,1909; Degner, 1925; Bouxin and
Legendre, 1936; Rees and Maul, 1956; R. Clarke, 1956; Sacarriio, 1957;
Clarke, 1962a), from the western North Atlantic (Verrill, 1879a, 1882c),
from South Africa (Robson, 1924c, 1926c), the South Atlantic (Hoyle,
1886a), and the south Indian Ocean (Thiele, 1921; Dell, 1959a).
The species is usually thought to live at about 1400 m but there
is little evidence for this because all specimens have been taken with
open nets, from stomachs of predators or dead-at the surface. It has
been taken in nets put to a minimum of 130-150 m (Massy, 1907) and
a maximum of 4 000 m (Joubin, 1924). One was dredged a t 680 m
(Verrill, 1882c) so that it seems likely they sometimes, a t least, go
near the bottom at about 700 m. The majority have been caught with
nets fished a t 500-1 500 m. They are always caught in ones and twos
although from Sperm whale stomach contents one would get the
impression that they shoaled (Clarke, 1962a).
From the few small stages known (Hoyle, 1886a; Massy, 1907, 1909;
Pfeffer, 1912; Naef, 1923; Degner, 1925) it appears that growth is
isometric in this species, the young closely resembling the adult in
proportion (Fig. 39). The most obvious diagnostic features of the
species (the umbrella and the “ end organs ” on the arms) are present
a t a mantle length of only 1.1 cm (Grimpe and Hoffmann, 1921;
Degner, 1922). Both sexes have been caught but few specimens have
been sexed. A female, 9.0 cm in mantle length, was mature (Robson,
1926~). The largest recorded specimen, a male, has a mantle
length of 33.0 cm (Morales, 1962).