7.3 Sagitta maxima Conant, 1896
Sagitta maxima Conant, 1896: p. 84- von RitterZahony, 1910: p. 264, pl. 5 figs. 7, 8, 10- von Ritter-Zahony, 1911b: p. 8, fig. 2 - David, 1958: p.
205, pl. 10- Fagetti, 1968: p. 14, fig. 17a,b- Alvarifio, 1962: p. 27, fig. 6a,b- Alvarifio, 1969: p. 158,
figs. 46a-d, 47a-f- Dinofrio, 1973: p. 42, fig. 6.
Flaccisagitta maxima Tokioka, 1965a: p. 351.
Pseudosagitta maxima Lutschinger, 1993: p. 24,
fig. lla,b.
Body length -
juveniles: 15-43 mm
Description. Body elongated and flaccid, very
similar in aspect to S. gazellae, with which it can
be confused. Differences between the two species include the anterior fins, which originate at
midlength of the ganglion in S. maxima, and the
length of the tail, which is less than 15 o/o of the
totallength inS. gazellae and up to 19-25 o/o inS.
maxima. The number ofhooks (8-10) is greater
in specimens 10-14 mm in length than in larger
specimens, which have 5-6 hooks. The number
of anterior and posterior teeth are 2-4 and 3-5,
respectively. The anterior fins are united to the
posterior fins. Rays visible posteriorly. Second
pair of lateral fins subtriangular and bearing
rays along external border. Ovary long and subtie with eggs arranged along 4-5 rows. In ripe
specimens, ovary reaches or surpasses ventral
ganglion.
Remarks
No mature specimens were collected in the
present study. Arctic specimens are as long as
90 mm, whereas those in the Antarctic are 55
mm in length (David 1958).
Distribution
This is a cosmopolitan species present in the
Arctic and Atlantic Oceans from 29°N to 74°S; in
the Pacific it is sampled from 45°N to 46°S (Alvarifio 1965). David (1958) reports its presence in
the Pacific offPeru, where he observed a diminution in the number of hooks and teeth with increasing sexual maturity. Fagetti (1968) sampled
it only in waters from the Peru current. Dinofrio
(1973) recorded it in Drake Passage and the Weddel Sea; Guglielmo et al. (1992) collected it off
South New Zealand. Lutschinger ( 1993) reports
the species in New Zealand waters. In the Straits
of Magellan, it was sampled only in the Pacific
sector up to Cape Froward. S. maxima represented less than 1 o/o of all sampled chaetognaths.
Sagitta maxima Conant, 1896: p. 84- von RitterZahony, 1910: p. 264, pl. 5 figs. 7, 8, 10- von Ritter-Zahony, 1911b: p. 8, fig. 2 - David, 1958: p.
205, pl. 10- Fagetti, 1968: p. 14, fig. 17a,b- Alvarifio, 1962: p. 27, fig. 6a,b- Alvarifio, 1969: p. 158,
figs. 46a-d, 47a-f- Dinofrio, 1973: p. 42, fig. 6.
Flaccisagitta maxima Tokioka, 1965a: p. 351.
Pseudosagitta maxima Lutschinger, 1993: p. 24,
fig. lla,b.
Body length -
juveniles: 15-43 mm
Description. Body elongated and flaccid, very
similar in aspect to S. gazellae, with which it can
be confused. Differences between the two species include the anterior fins, which originate at
midlength of the ganglion in S. maxima, and the
length of the tail, which is less than 15 o/o of the
totallength inS. gazellae and up to 19-25 o/o inS.
maxima. The number ofhooks (8-10) is greater
in specimens 10-14 mm in length than in larger
specimens, which have 5-6 hooks. The number
of anterior and posterior teeth are 2-4 and 3-5,
respectively. The anterior fins are united to the
posterior fins. Rays visible posteriorly. Second
pair of lateral fins subtriangular and bearing
rays along external border. Ovary long and subtie with eggs arranged along 4-5 rows. In ripe
specimens, ovary reaches or surpasses ventral
ganglion.
Remarks
No mature specimens were collected in the
present study. Arctic specimens are as long as
90 mm, whereas those in the Antarctic are 55
mm in length (David 1958).
Distribution
This is a cosmopolitan species present in the
Arctic and Atlantic Oceans from 29°N to 74°S; in
the Pacific it is sampled from 45°N to 46°S (Alvarifio 1965). David (1958) reports its presence in
the Pacific offPeru, where he observed a diminution in the number of hooks and teeth with increasing sexual maturity. Fagetti (1968) sampled
it only in waters from the Peru current. Dinofrio
(1973) recorded it in Drake Passage and the Weddel Sea; Guglielmo et al. (1992) collected it off
South New Zealand. Lutschinger ( 1993) reports
the species in New Zealand waters. In the Straits
of Magellan, it was sampled only in the Pacific
sector up to Cape Froward. S. maxima represented less than 1 o/o of all sampled chaetognaths.