Four rows of suckers on manus of tentacular rod (Fig. 4b); medial posterior margin of fin concave (i.e. curved posteriorly towards . midline) (Fig. 4a) Loliginidae 5 b. Funnel lock - an oval cartilage with one or two buttons directed towards the center of the concavity (Fig. 20c).
LIST OF SPECIES OCCURRING IN THE AREA
At least one other species, possibly undescribed, occurs in the northern sector of the area;. Several species occur throughout the area; this deep-sea family is currently being revised by Roper & Young.
LEPIDO 1977
Other oceanic squid including species of importance to fisheries: no scales on any part of the body. Color: surfaces of head, arms and fins pigmented a dark maroon color, scaled area of mantle pigmented a light, wine-like red with scattered darker brownish chromatophores (color probably uniform in living specimens).
SIZE
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION AND BEHAVIOUR
PRESENT FISHING GROUNDS
CATCHES, MAIN FISHING GEAR AND PRINCIPAL FORMS OF UTILIZATION
LOLIG 1977
Eggs are usually attached to hard surfaces in large, finger-like masses ("seamops '*) in shallow water; larvae resemble the adults. Certain species support extensive fisheries in various parts of the world, as the meat is of excellent quality.
SIMILAR FAMILIES OCCURRING IN THE AREA
- suvinamensis ropem
The Loliginidae are medium-sized squids (up to about 40 cm mantle length) found worldwide along coastal margins and continental shelves, mainly in warmer to temperate waters; they form one of the main groups of commercially used cephalopods. Fins in adults occupy more than 85 percent of mantle length, broadly elliptical (Fig. I); buccal lobes without. Mantle long, moderately slender, cylindrical, the back bluntly pointed; fins diamond-shaped, their sides almost straight; left ventral (fourth) arm hectocotylized in adult males by modification of the distal third to fourth of arm, but the modification does not extend to arm tip; fewer than 12 of the pistons in dorsal row usually smaller than, half the size of their counterparts in ventral row; bases or pedicels of some of the modified pistons rounded, narrowly triangular; gladius. skeletal mantle support) long, rather broad, pinnate, ratio of greatest width of gladius cock to greatest width of rachis 2.7 to 3.7 in females, 2.4 to 2.9 in males; edge of wing curved (sometimes straight in males), thin, rarely ribbed; eyes not unusually large, diameter of externally visible eyeball 8 to 18 percent of mantle length, and diameter of dissected lens 2 to 6 percent of mantle length.
I ooula
- surinamensis: modified portion of hectocotylized (left ventral) arm occupies one third of arm and does not extend to tip; modified
SIZE;
DISTINCTIVE CHARACTERS
Western Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea in continental shelf and upper slope waters from Cape Hatteras (36°N), (very rare in southern New England) to Fortaleza, Brazil (4°S); Bermuda, the Bahamian Islands and the Caribbean. 14 cm (male) and 9 cm (female); immature and mature specimens of a wide range of sizes can be caught in the same net; gravid specimens are found throughout the year; all may not die after spawning;. In the Bahamian Islands and the Caribbean it is undoubtedly the commercial species of Loliginidae that is caught most often.
FAO SPECIES IDENTIFICATION SHEETS
Loligo species: mantle elongate, narrow, tapering to a point posteriorly, widest at anterior opening; fins lozenge-shaped, with lateral angles, usually not wider than long, never wider than 60 percent of mantle length. Sepioteuthis sepioidea: mantle broad, thick, obtusely rounded posteriorly, widest at anterior opening, - fins long, extending almost the entire length of mantle (90 percent in adults, about 75 percent in juveniles), elliptical to weakly rhomboid, width about 65 percent of mantle length. Loligo species: mantle elongate, narrow, tapering to a point backwards; fins diamond-shaped with lateral angles, never longer than 65 percent of mantle length; pistons present on buccal lobes (absent in S. sepioidea).
The first pair of wings is always the largest and usually longer, stronger or equal to the second pair of wings (Fig. 5a), animal size medium to large; gill lamellae 9 to 13; ligula index up to 14 (Fig. 5b); the eggs. Code numbers are given for those species for which identification sheets Bathypolypua arcticue (Prosch, 1849) are included.
DISTINCTIVE CHARACTERS
PRESENT FISHING GROUNDS
CATCHES, MAIN FISHING GEAR AND PRINCIPAL FORMS OF UTILIZATION
- briari.ua: second and third arms the f
- hunrnelinaki: dark ocellus or eyespot between eye and base of second and third
- burryi: mantle, head and arms covered with close-set papillae; dark
- maya
- defiiippi: arms very long, slender, asymmetrical in length;
- joubini: arms very short, slender, equal in length and thick-
- joubini dorsal view
Dorsal (first) pair of arms the longest and strongest. or equally strong with second pair); third, right arm of males hectocosylated by change of tip to a large stout, tubular ligula; ligula index (length of ligula expressed as percentage of length of hectocotyl arm) to 14; 9 to IS gill lamellae on outer side of gill; animals medium to large; eggs small Colour: blue-green with large white spots over dorsal surface of mantle, head and arms; becomes brick red, spots intensify when animal is disturbed.
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION AND BEHAVIOUR
CATCHES, MAIN FISHING GEAR AND PRINCIPAL FORMS OF UTILIZATION
Likely included in the reported catch for OatopuB vutgaris (4 487 tonnes from fishing area 31, mainly Mexico). A large, round, dark "eye spot" (ocellus) between the eye and the base of the second and third pairs of arms on each side of the head; arms long with weakened ends; third right arm in males shortened, hectocotylated by modification of the tip into a small, cuddly spoon-shaped ligula with inwardly rolled edges; Undoubtedly, Octopus vulgaria constitutes the majority of the reported catch (4 487 tonnes from fishing area 31, mainly Mexico).
FISHING AREA 31 (W Cent. Atlantic)
Leaves FAO OMMASTREPHIDAE Fishing area 3 I Jtedium— to large oceanic and neri .. and prominent squid families in wo Todarodes paoifious, accounts for most of th annual) and may comprise at least half of the fishing area 31.6 ommastrephid species for commercial exploitation. Ommastrefids Some neritic species have strong seasonal coastal waters where they are accessible fi (typically 30 to 50 cm in total length and more to be ideal for human consumption. In various parts they are currently fished commercially or have the potential to be strong swimmers-and often occur in large schools.. migrations, where they occur in huge numbers in domestic activities.
Cap with blunt tip termin- >•. nus, not drawn out into a point \ tail; foveola and side pockets. Nineteen large round light organs on the ventral surface of the mantle, 4 pairs along the ventral surface of the fourth arm. tissue along the ventral midline of the mantle {0. Bartramy. Cape widest at anterior end (except in fully mature females), moderately long and narrow; tail pointed, moderately extended;.
Ommastrephes species: only 4 rows of suction cups at tips (dactylu.) of tentacular clubs (0 in Illex); attachment apparatus on clubs with 0 to 3 knobs and 2 to 4 small, smooth suckers (none in Illex); foveola in funnel groove with 5 to 9 folds,. Ornithoteuthis anfrCllarum: only 4 rows of suction cups at tips (dactylus) of tentacular clubs (8 in Illex); no fixation apparatus on tentacular clubs; foveola in funnel groove with 7 to 12 folds, no lateral pockets (no foveola or lateral pockets in II lex). Hyaloteuthis pelagica: mantle with 19 round integumentary light organs on ventral surface; 4 round light organs along the ventral surface of each ventral arm (no light organs in Illex).
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION AND BEHAVIOUR
PRESENT FISHING GROUNDS
Orrmaa trephea species: only 4 types of suckers on Cips (dactylus) tentacular sticks (8 in Illex) attachment apparatus on sticks with 0 to 3 knobs and 2 to 4 small, smooth suckers (none in Illex); foveola in a funnel-shaped groove with 5 to 8 folds, I to 5 lateral pockets on each side (absent in Illex). Ornithoteuthis antillorum: only 4 types of suckers on the tips (dactylus) of the feelers (8 in Illex)\ without attachment apparatus on feelers;. Hyaloteutkia pelagiea: mantle with 19 round covering bright organs on ventral surface; 4 round light organs along ventral surface of each ventral arm (no light organs in Illex).
OMMAS 111 3
VERNACULAR NAMES
19 round integumentary light organs on the ventral surface; 4 round light organs along the ventral surface of each ventral arm j (no light organs in Illex). Hyaloteuthig pelagiaa: mantle with 19 round light organs on ventral surface; .4 round light organs in integument along ventral surface of each ventral arm (no round integumentary light organs in 0. bartrami). Hyaloteuthis pelagvca: mantle with 19 round light organs on ventral surface; 4 round light organs in integument along ventral surface of each ventral arm (no round integumentary light organs in 0. pteropus).
CATCHES, MAIN FISHING GEAR AND PRINCIPAL FORMS OF UTILIZATION
It is the dominant species at the surface on dark nights (no moon), but it is distributed during the day and at night in a wide vertical range up to about 1 500 m; it does not appear on the surface during periods of strong moonlight or rough seas. When on the surface, it forms flocks of up to about 50 individuals of the same size, with the size of the flock decreasing as the size of the individuals increases. The extent and location of spawning grounds are unknown; the eggs are laid in large, gelatinous, sausage-shaped masses that float at or near the surface of the sea and contain up to several hundred thousand embryos.
Ommastrephes species: external Light organs as an oval spot on antero-dorsal mantle (0. pteropus) or as a long stripe along the ventral midline (0. bartrami). no external light organs in Ornithoteuthis antillarum); mantle not drawn back into a long, pointed tail; funnel groove possesses foveola and side sacs (side sacs absent in Orni tho teu this). ventral view of mantle hoteuthi. Hyaloteuthis pelagica: mantle with 19 round light organs on ventral surface; 4 round light organs in integument along ventral surface of each ventral arm (no externally visible light organs in Ornithoteuthis). The Species must be edible, as other members of the family are confirmed as good.
ONYCHO 1977
Ommastrephidae: funnel-locking apparatus -L-shaped; tentacular clubs usually with 4, exceptionally with 8 (Illex) rows of suction cups at the ends, no hooks; buccal joints attached to the dorsal margins of the fourth arms. Loliginidae: eyes covered with a transparent corneal membrane (eye open in other families); arms with 2 rows of suckers, tentacular billets with 4, no hooks; all 7 buccal lappets with small suckers (except Sepioteuthis). Tentacular bats with 2 rows of large, claw-like hooks, no marginal rows of suckers (Fig. 1a);
Tentacular bats with two rows of large punch-like hooks, no marginal rows of Slickers; several elongated, flap-like folds around the dorsolateral surface of the neck; gladius visible as a dark line through the skin along the dorsal midline of the mantle; 2 light organs along the ventral midline of the intestinal tract; fins with sharp lateral angles; tail pointed. Onykia carribaea: animal small, 4 cm mantle length (20 cm mantle length in 0. banksi); tentacular clubs with 2 middle rows of small hooks and 2 marginal rows of small suckers (2 rows of large hooks, no marginal rows of suckers in 0. bankai); nuchal folds absent (several distinct nuchal folds in 0. banksi); fins broad, lateral corners rounded, no pointed tail (fins oblique and tail pointed in 0. banksi); light organs absent (present on intestine of 0, bankcC). Presumably they can be caught in certain quantities with night lights and a jigging machine or lifting net.
