BATHYPELAGIC SQUID BATHYTEUTHIS 69 



sucker on each of three hippets, and 2 suckers on the remaining two 

 lappets. Clearly a large number of combinations of 0-3 suckers on 



1 to 7 lappets is possible. Tables III and IV show the combinations 

 that are known to occur in B. ahyssicoJa from Antarctic waters. 



At the outset of this study, it appeared that the distribution of 

 suckers on the buccal lappets was entirely random, but as larger num- 

 bers of specimens were examined it seemed that a certain degree of 

 accuracy was attained in predicting the sex of specimens by noting 

 the presence (combination) or absence of suckers on the lappets. (The 

 male of abyssicola has no differentiated hectocotylus.) A sample of 

 123 specimens, 69 females and 54 males, displays six combinations of 

 numbers of suckers on the buccal lappets (Table III) ; the table records 

 the combinations of numbers of suckers only and does not consider the 

 number of individual lappets that bear a particular number of suckers. 

 Twelve of the females, 17.4% of the female sample, had suckers on 

 any of the lappets, while 53.7% of the males lacked buccal suckers ; but 

 47.8% of the females and 33.4% of the males had the 0, 1 combination 

 of suckers, in which 1 sucker is present on one to six of the lappets. The 

 0, 1, 2 combination included 13.1% of the females and 9.3% of the 

 males. Fourteen females (20.e3%) but only one male (1.8%) had a 

 combination of 1, 2 suckers. One male had 1 sucker on each lappet and 

 one female had a combination of 0, 2, 3. 



In comparing sucker combinations of males and females it is noted 

 that nearly two-and-a-half times as many males as females have 

 suckers on the buccal lappets. The combinations 0, 1 and 0, 1, 2 are 

 predominated by females in a ratio of two females to one male, although 

 the 0, 1 combination is much more abundant. 



One-third of the total sample has suckers, and 41.5% has only 1 

 sucker on some of the lappets and none on others. Therefore, about 

 75% of the sample population has or 0, 1 suckers. About 12% of the 

 sample is represented in the 0, 1, 2 and 1, 2 categories. 



In general males tend to have lappets that bear fewer suckers; about 

 87% have or 0, 1 suckers, and only about 11% have some lappets with 



2 suckers. About 65% of the females have or 0, 1 suckers and the 

 remaining 35% have combinations that include 2 suckers. 



Table IV represents a sample of specimens that have 0, 1 suckers 

 in all possible combinations of lappets from six lappets with suckers 

 and one lappet with 1 sucker to one lappet with suckers and six with 

 1 sucker. Females have a broad range of combinations that includes 

 all possibilities. About 30% have six lappets with suckers and one 

 lappet with 1 sucker and 25% have the reverse order. The combina- 

 tions of 2 and 5 and 3 and 4 are nearly evenly distributed in the re- 

 maining 45% of the sample. The situation in males is striking: 75% 



