CEPHALOPODA. — BERRY. 



257 



Type.— Ad, E3636 [S.S.B. 538], in the collection of the 

 Australian Museum, Sydne}'. A paratype [S.S.B. 537] has 

 been retained by the writer. 



Type Locality.— 250-300 fathoms, long. 130° 50' E., Great 

 Australian Bight, south of Eucla, Western Australia ; 

 ("Endeavour") ; Icf, 2? ?. 



Recorded Distribution. — 175-300 fathoms. Great Australian 

 Bight ; 200-250 fathoms, Gabo Island to Everard Grounds, 

 Victoria. 



Material Examined. — 



TABLE XV. 



Remarks. — This attractive Sepiolid is of interest in being 

 only the second member of its genus to be recorded from the 

 Southern Hemisphere. It has no near affinity with any of 

 the northern forms, but on the other hand is so closely similar 

 to the lately described East African R. mastigophora, Chun, 

 that at first glance I thought the two might prove specifically 

 identical. This, however, was not borne out by more 

 detailed study. No doubt with our present knowledge 

 females alone of these species would be very hard, even 

 thovigh not impossible, to separate. Eortunately in the 

 hectocotylized arms of the male we find structures subject 

 to unusually definite specific modification, so that we would 

 seem quite safe in relying on them. The recent careful studies 

 of Naef on the Mediterranean Sepiolids, supported by my 

 own less extended (though only partly published) investi- 

 gations of Euprymna, indicate that in this family as much 

 or more than in other cephalopods even relatively minor 

 details in the morphology of these organs have considerable 

 taxonomic significance. Here we find some very tangible 

 difi^erences between the two species. 



