182 Bulletin, Vanderoilt Marine Museum, Vol. IV 



The young specimens from Punta Arenas are each from 10 to 

 15 mm. total length and are perfect replicas of the older one, except 

 that the orbits appear larger, and the chromatophores more con- 

 spicuous. 

 References: Loligo diomedeae Hoyle, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 



vol. 63, p. 29, pi. 5, fig. 13, pi. 6, figs. 1-7, 1904.— Boone, Bull. 



Bingham. Oceanog. Coll., vol. II, art. 5, p. I, 1928. 



Loligo pealeii (Lesueur). 

 Plate 113. 



Type: Lesueur 's type locality is given as "coasts of S. C?" and 

 deposited in the "Philadelphia Museum." 



Distribution: Found on the east coast of the United States from 

 Maine to Florida, and southward through the West Indies and Carib- 

 bean Sea. 



Material examined: One specimen, Miami, Florida, taken in net, 

 tag 484, Marquesas Keys, Florida, November 28, 1923. Three speci- 

 mens, Thompson Key, Florida, January 26, 1926. One specimen, 

 Hawk's Nest, Cat Island, Bahamas, January 15, 1928, taken with 

 electric light at night. Three specimens, south coast of Cuba, Febru- 

 ary 14, 1923. 



Color : As nearly as the changing coloration of these living palettes 

 may be described the ground color of the head, body and arms is a 

 delicate translucent bluish white, the caudal fin similar, but becoming 

 nearly transparent toward the margins. On the upper surfaces of 

 the body, head and caudal fin there are abundantly scattered large, 

 circular to elliptical chromatophores which, when expanded, are light 

 red to dark lake red, varying to purplish red and pink; when con- 

 tracted they become brownish purple. Behind the middle region of 

 the eyes on the head and near the margin of the caudal fin these 

 chromatophores are smaller and less numerous. They are also less 

 abundant on the underside of the body and on the arms. 



Life history: This is one of the few squid whose life history is 

 known. The eggs are encased in paper-like capsules, from the outer 

 end of which fully developed miniature squid escape at maturity 

 and immediately begin an independent free-swimming existence. 

 Although less than a quarter of an inch long, they are fully equipped 

 with chromatophores and an ink-sac. They attain a body length of 

 six to nine inches and are very rapid swimmers. Jellyfish prey on 



