484 American Se ash ells 



Total length, including tentacular arms, 12 to 18 inches. A common 

 squid characterized hj the small opening to the eyes and the small, narrow 

 sinus or notch in front of the eyes, and by the proportion of fin-length to 

 mantle-length which is roughly i to 3. The sides of the head, back of the 

 eyes, have a rather prominent, transverse ridge, back of which the head sud- 

 denly narrows to the neck. Under surface of head with a deep, smoothish 

 excavation to receive the dorsal half of the siphonal tube. In males, either 

 the left or right ventral arm is hectocotylized. A very common species used 

 for fish bait. It may be seen in large schools near shore, especially in summer 

 in New England. 



Genus Sthenoteuthis Verrill 1880 



Very similar to Illex in almost every way, but the sucker-bearing area 

 includes less than one half the total length of the tentacular arms. The larger 

 suckers on the tentacular club are strongly toothed, with an additional large 

 tooth in each of the four quadrants. 



Sthenoteuthis bartrami Lesueur Flying Squid 



Worldwide. 



2 to 3 feet in total length, resembling the common Illex, but more slen- 

 der, with shorter fins, and with 4, not 8, rows of tiny suckers on the end of 

 the 2 long tentacular arms. Preserved specimens show a distinct dark, purple- 

 brown dorsal stripe. In hfe, the colors are very brilliant and are continually 

 changing. Along the middle dorsal line there is a broad violet stripe with a 

 stripe of reddish yellow on each side of it. Body elsewhere bluish; fins rosy. 

 Skin covered with small, red-violet chromatophore dots. On the eyes there 

 are two elongated spots of brilliant blue, and below a bright spot of red. 

 Color of ink reported to be a coffee-and-milk color. A common ocean-going 

 species which swims with great speed, and not infrequently jumps out of 

 water and lands on the decks of ships. Like most squid, it is attracted by 

 artificial light. 



Order OCTOPODA 



The octopods have only 8 arms and are without the 2 long tentacular 

 arms that are characteristic of the squid. The suckers on the arms are with- 

 out stalks and are not equipped with horny rings. No internal pen or shell. 

 This order includes the many forms of Octopus and the Paper Nautilus, 

 Argonauta. The female Argonauta secretes a shell to hold her eggs. 



