BATHYPELAGIC SQUID BATHYTEUTHIS 47 



shallow, narrow depression runnings the entire length of the tentacular 

 stalk. 



The tentacular club is relatively long, narrow, tapering and simple 

 with no differentiation into carpus, manus, or dactylus (pi. 9a). The 

 club is about 25-30% of the mantle length in smaller specimens and 

 30-35% in the large specimens; the club makes up about 23-27% 

 of the tentacle length. The sucker-bearing portion of the club is cov- 

 ered with numerous, minute, closely packed suckers that originate 

 proximally as one or two scattered suckers. The suckers increase very 

 rapidly in number distally and are so numerous and closely packed 

 that a definite linear pattern is not obvious, but there are about 8-10 

 suckers across the club. Suckers decrease in numbers only at the 

 extreme end of the club. The left club of the holotype has approxi- 

 mately 615 suckers. Although the club tapers gradually posteriorly it 

 terminates abruptly in a blunt tip. In smaller specimens the tip is 

 slightly drawn out. This papilla-like tip bears minute granules that 

 appear to be precursors of suckers. The tips of the clubs of the two 

 larger specimens (37 mm ML) are blunt nubs with only a very few 

 nonchitinous suckers ; no papilla-like growing tips exist, so these clubs 

 may be approaching the maximum size for these specimens. 



No protective membranes occur along the lateral borders of the club. 

 A narrow, weak swimming membrane arises on the dorsolateral sur- 

 face of the tentacular stalk just proximal to the sucker-bearing region ; 

 it runs the length of the club and terminates just short of the tip. 



The apertures of the largest inner sucker rings from the first arms 

 of the holotype measure 0.12-0.14 mm in diameter and possess 20-34 

 (average 24) minute teeth (pi. 9b, c). Medium-sized suckers have 

 around 16 teeth. In general the teeth are small, short, and closely 

 packed ; they are long and truncate distally and grade to stubby knobs 

 proximally. The teeth on some rings are so closely packed that their 

 lateral edges are in contact; these teeth tend to be rounded to knobby 

 and not truncate. 



The maximum diameter of the sucker apertures on the second arms 

 is 0.14-0.16 mm. These rings bear 20-23 (average 22) teeth (pi. 9d). 

 The small, short teeth are truncate to rounded in shape distally and 

 grade to knobs proximally. Smaller rings tend to have only rounded 

 or knobby teeth. Occasionally a tooth will be broad (about two times 

 wider than its neighbors) or long (about two times longer than broad) . 



The third arms have sucker apertures with maximum diameters of 

 0.16 mm. Around the aperture are 21-25 (average 23) small, closely 

 packed truncate (separate) or rounded (borders touching) teeth 

 (pi. 9r). Smaller rings have about 16 teeth. The apertures of the 



