BATHYPELAGIC SQUID BATHYTEUTHIS 



185 



caught more than 9 specimens per 2-hour tow had the following 

 composition in order from greatest to least abundance : five tows had 

 ripe, maturing, juvenile, and spent stages that ranged in size from 

 14—56 mm ML ; three tows had ripe, maturing, and spent individuals 

 25-56 mm ML; five tows had nearly equal numbers of juvenile, matur- 

 ing, and ripe specimens 14—48 mm ML; two tows had ripe and matur- 

 ing specimens 26-54 mm ML of which tlie ripe were 2i/^ times more 

 numerous; one tow had even numbers of juvenile and larval specimens 

 tliat ranged from 8-21 mm ML. 



4. Size-Frequency Distribution 



The composition of the sample population from the Antarctic by 

 size is represented in the frequency distribution histograms (figs. 70 

 and 71). The standard for size, mantle length, has been plotted in 

 8 mm increments for 598 individuals for the total sample population 

 (fig. 70) and 287 males and 284 females for the plot by sex (fig. 71). 

 The plots for the populations are moderately skewed. Few small lar- 



FiGURE 70. — Size-frequency distribution of total sample population of Bathyteuthis abys- 

 sicola from the Antarctic Ocean; n — 598. 



4CH 



NO. 



FEMALE n= 284 

 MALE n = 287 



1 ??^^ 



^.^^^^^ 



-W^ 



7 II 15 19 23 27 31 35 39 43 47 51 55 59 63 67 



Figure 71. — Size-frequency distribution of males (n = 287) and females (n = 284) of 

 Bathyteuthis abyssicola from the Antarctic Ocean. 



