300 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



Tentacles robust, of moderate length, laterally much compressed and keeled on the dorsal edge, 

 inner surface flattened, bordered by a narrow swimming web with trabeculse similar to those of the 

 sessile arms. Club elongate, attenuate distally, little enlarged; armed with two median rows of very 

 large basin-shaped suckers and two lateral rows of very small ones, all becoming subequal and very 

 minute at the extremity. Tlie larger suckers have blackish homy rings armed with about 32 stout 

 acute teeth, one tooth in each quadrant being very considerably larger than 

 the others (text fig. 8). Fixing apparatus conspicuous, consisting of about 

 three fleshy knobs alternating with the small suckers of the dorsal row along 

 the carpal portion of the club, and succeeded proximally on each tentacle 

 club of the specimen in hand by four small smooth-ringed suckers (pi. L, fig. 5.) 

 Buccal membrane seven-pointed, the inner smface very rugose. 

 Beak, gladius, and radula not examined. 



Color in alcohol a brownish buff, heavily clouded above with blackish 

 Fig. s.—Sthenoteuthis bar- purpjg^ due to the great multitude and crowded condition of the chromato- 

 irawii. homy ring of large , ^1 j , ^ 



. . , ,11 phores over the dorsal surface, 

 tentacular sucker. [114.] ^ 



The above description is taken from a specimen in the Stanford Uni- 

 versity Collection (author's register no. 114), which was blown on board a vessel off Komandorski 

 Island, Bering Sea. It is an adult in fair condition and does not appear in any way distinguishable 

 from the specimens of this species I have seen from the tropical Pacific. Its chief measurements 

 follow : 



Measurements of Sthenoteuthis b.\rtramii. 



mm. 



Total length, including tentacles a 435 



Excluding tentacles o 380 



Length of mantle (dorsal) o 220 



Width of mantle a 55 



Length of fin 90 



Width across fin 154 



Of head 45 



Length of dorsal arm 77 



Second arm 87 



Third arm 97 



Ventral arm 96 



Tentacle 163 



Tentacle club (sucker-bearing portion) 81 



Distribution: Northern Etu'ope to Mediterranean; Gulf Stream (Verrill); West Indies, Brazil; 

 Uruguay (Museum of Comparative Zoology); Cape of Good Hope (Gray); Marshall Islands (Museum of 

 Comparative Zoolog)'); Fiji Islands (Museum of Comparative Zoology); off Komandorski Island, Bering 

 Sea (Stanford University Collection). 



Although I have seen no individuals captured within the actual limits of the geographical area 

 under consideration, this species is so widespread in its habitat that there would be little doubt of its 

 existence somewhere off otir coasts. Fiulhermore , it is knowTi to be abundant in Bering Sea, and, 

 surprising as this may seem, appears to be at least in part the Gonatus amasniis of various Alaskan authors. 

 According to Lucas, it is of considerable economic significance as one of the most important articles of 

 food of the fur seal in that region. The figure given by this author, while yet leaving much to be 

 desired, seems unmistakably to represent the present species. It is obviously not a Gonatus, the true 

 importance of which form in such a connection is still not to be conjectured. 



The data accompanying the Stanford specimen confirm A'errill 's remark that "This is an exceedingly 

 active species, swimming with great velocity, and not rarely leaping so high out of the water as to fall 

 on the decks of vessels. On this account it has been called the 'flying squid' by sailors." 



a Estimated. 



