60 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [Feb., 



Genus SYMPLECTOTEUTHIS Pfeffer, 1900. 

 [Symplectoteuthis oualaniensis (Lesson, 1830).] 

 1830. Loligo oualaniensis Lesson, Zool. Voy. Coquille, p. 240, pi. 1, fig. 2. 

 1900. Symplectoteuthis oualaniensis Pfeffer, Synops. (Egops. Ceph., p. 180. 



It now appears that my reference of certain of the Kermadec 

 squids to this species was premature (see further note below), despite 

 the fact that the islands lie well within its probable range. 



Genus EUCLEOTEUTHIS new genus.2 

 15. Eucleoteuthis species (young ?). 



1914. Symplectoteuthis oualaniensis Berry, Trans. N. Z. Inst., 46, p. 148 

 (not Loligo oualaniensis Lesson, 1830). 



With the exception of the smallest, which may prove to be a 

 genuine Symplectoteuthis, six quite small and rather poorly preserved 

 Ommastrephids in the second collection sent me [S. S. B. 421] are 

 apparently referable here. A reexamination of the similar specimens 

 previously reported as S. oualaniensis, in the light of Sasaki's recent 

 work (see appended footnote), shows that these likewise should be 

 included in the newer genus. On all, with the single exception noted, 

 the supposed photogenic tissue is evident as a pair of narrow whitish 

 bands running along the ventral aspect of the body, much as in 

 E. luminosa, though apparently not interrupted as in that species. 

 In some of the specimens a pale oval macula may be made out near 

 the mantle margin and just outside the line of the bands, but in no 

 case have the maculae at the base of the ventral arms been identified. 

 Numerous other differences in the outline of the photogenic organs, 

 their distribution, the shape of the fins and body, and the proportions 



2 In a recent paper ("On three interesting new cegopsids from the Bay of 

 Sagami, " Jour. Coll. Agric, Tohoku Imper. Univ., Sapporo, v. 6, pp. 131-150, 

 pi. 4), Madoka Sasaki describes and beautifully illustrates a very remarkable 

 luminous squid from 700 fathoms, off Misaki, Japan, to which he attaches the 

 name Symplectoteuthis luminosa. The creature is absolutely unique among 

 described cephalopods in the fact that the principal photogenic organs, instead 

 of being small spherical or ovoid cysts as in most cegopsids, take the form of a 

 pair of narrow, zone-like bands, extending with but two interruptions along the 

 ventral aspect, of the mantle for nearly its entire length. A pair of smaller 

 maculse of similar character lie outside the terminal segments of the bands near 

 the anterior margin, and a larger, ovoid, transverse organ appears at the base 

 of each ventral arm. While the photogenic property of these curious structures 

 does not appear to have been observed in the living animal, Sasaki infers such a 

 function from their histology. It seems to me that these characters, coupled 

 with several minor features, among which may be noted the unidentate horny 

 rings of the larger tentacular suckers, are sufficient to quite preclude the proper 

 reference of this species to Symplectoteuthis, a genus not known to possess any 

 luminous properties, and in which the larger tentacular rings are multidentate. 

 Having conveyed these opinions to Prof. Sasaki and ascertained that he has no 

 present intention of altering his original disposition of the species, I now propose, 

 with his courteous permission, the new genus Eucleoteuthis, with S. luminosa, 

 Sasaki as type. 



