BATHYPELAGIC SQUID BATHYTEUTHIS 



147 



Depth, 



-1^ 



. . • ':.':.' .' . . • : •*• • . ' ** •' •* •' .' . ' •' o 

 t !. *•. .• ... 



® ®* ' 





(*)W<«) 



®« 



Figure 47. — -Vertical section, 85°W; oxygen ml/L. Capture points of Bathyteuthis ahyssicola 

 and B. bacidifera in the eastern Pacific. 



only a few times. The IMS collections contain only one specimen from 

 the Gulf of Mexico, which has been very thoroughly fished by the 

 Oregon, and two specimens from tlie northern Florida Current. The 

 Straits of Florida have been fished extensively by Gerda^ but no B. 

 ahyssicola have been taken. The Dana^ Gerda, and recently, the Pills- 

 hury and other vessels have worked the Caribbean Sea but this species 

 has not been among the captures. Woods Hole vessels and the Dana 

 and Pilhhiwy have extensively explored the western North Atlantic 

 and Sargasso Sea, yet only one capture of B. ahyssicola is recorded. 

 Some specimens have been taken ort' northeastern America across the 

 North Atlantic in the region traversed by the Gulf Stream. Only 

 four larvae of B. ahys'sicohi have been re})orted from the eastern 

 North Atlantic (Massy, 19 Ki; Joubin, 1920, 1924), an area that has 

 been subjected to very extensive exploratory fishing. 



The rarity of B. dbyssicoh from the Gulf and Caribbean may be 

 related to the relatively shallow sill depths tliat enclose the Caribbean 

 and Mexican Basins, though more information is needed before defi- 

 nite conclusions can be made. Along the Antilles Arc from the Wind- 

 ward Islands to South America the sill depth is less than 1000 m except 



