OMMASTREPHIDAE 48 3 



Genus Doryteuthis Naef 191 2 

 Doryteuthis plei Blainville Plee's Striped Squid 



Florida and the West Indies. 



Up to 8 inches in length, including the tentacular arms. Characterized 

 by the long, narrow, slightly wavy, dark-colored bands running back along 

 the side of the mantle. The rest of the mantle is moderately covered with 

 small round dots. The body is long and slender, the triangular fins on the 

 last third of the mantle, and the arm suckers do not have pointed teeth on 

 the horny circles. A common surface-living species of the Caribbean region. 



Oigopsid Squid — eyes naked in front, pupils circular; eyelids 



Family ARCHITEUTHIDAE 



Genus Architeuthis Steenstrup 1857 



Architeuthis harveyi Kent Harvey's Giant Squid 



Figure 99c 



Newfoundland Fishing Banks. 



Total length 40 to ^s ^^^^- Body stout, nearly round, swollen in the 

 middle. Arms nearly equal in length, all bearing sharply, serrated suckers. 

 Tentacular arms 4 times as long as the 8 sessile arms. The peculiar backward 

 pointing tail fins separate this species from A. princeps Verrill, another giant 

 squid found in the same area. A large well-preserved specimen of any giant 

 squid is worth its weight in gold. No large specimens have been brought 

 back from the fishing banks in many years. They may occasionally be 

 washed ashore from Nova Scotia north. If you find one, take photographs if 

 possible, and notify one of the leading museums. Giant squid of unknown 

 identity have been seen in the Gulf of Mexico. 



Family OMMASTREPHIDAE 

 Genus lllex Steenstrup 1880 



Resembhng Loligo somewhat, but with half-hidden eyes, the lids free 

 and with a distinct notch or sinus in front. Internal pen narrow along the 

 middle portion, and with three ribs. There are 8 rows of tiny suckers on 

 the end section of the 2 long, tentacular arms. Further study may show that 

 the genus lllex is the same as Ominastrephes Orbigny 1835. 



lllex illecebrosus Lesueur Common Short-finned Squid 



Figure 99b 



Greenland to North Carolina and the Gulf of Mexico. 



