REPORT ON THE CEPHALOPODA. 129 



Sepia esculenla, Hoyle (PI. XVII. figs. 1-5 ; PL XVIII. figs. 1-6). 



1885. Sepia esculenta, Hoyle, Diagnoses II., p. 188. 



1885. „ „ Hoyle, Prelim. Rep. IL, p. 291. 



1886. „ „ Appellof, Japanska Ceph., p. 28, pi. iii. figs. 1-6, 24. 



Habitat. — Japan, purchased in the market, Yokohama. Two specimens, $ , ^ . 

 Japan (Appellof). 



The Body is broad, stout, and semielliptical posteriorly. The fins are about one- 

 fourth of the body in breadth and commence within 6 mm. of the anterior margin, and " 

 end within 5 mm. of each other; the mantle margin is produced far over the head 

 dorsally, and evenly truncated below. The sij^hoii just reaches the gap between the 

 ventral arms. 



The Head is broad, and the eyes laterally prominent. 



The Ar^ns are subequal, the order of length being 4, 1, 2, 3. and nearly half as long 

 as the body ; they are all more or less compressed, especially the ventral ones ; they have 

 a distinct web along the outer margin, and a rather broad membrane runs up either side 

 of the sucker-bearing face. The suckers are in four series throughout (PL XVII. fig. 2), 

 not very obliquely set ; they are large and spheroidal, and have meridional markings on 

 the outer surface ; the horny ring is smooth and surrounded by a narrow papillary area. 

 In the hectocotylised arm of the male (PL XVIII. fig. 6) the first four rows of suckers 

 are normal, then come two rows of gradually diminishing suckers, succeeded by four 

 rows of minute ones, after which they again regain their normal dimensions. The 

 umbrella is narrow, widest between the second and third arms, where it reaches up to 

 the fifth row of suckers. The buccal membrane has the usual seven points in the 

 male ; in the female the two ventral ones are rounded ofi" ; the spermatic pad is exceed- 

 ingly well developed, and has four deep transverse grooves. The outer lip is thin and 

 longitudinally corrugated ; the inner is thick and bears numerous very long papillae. 



The Tentacles are " about as long as or somewhat longer than the body ; their suckers 

 are small and of equal size, stand in about ten series and are somewhat oblique. The 

 horny rings are provided on the distal margin with from twelve to fourteen very long but 

 blunt teeth, which, on the proximal margin pass over into similar shorter ones." ^ 



The Surface is smooth throughout. 



The Colour is duU grey, mottled with black above, yellowish below. 



The Jaws are shown on PL XVII. figs. 4, 5. 



Tlie Shell (PL XVII. fig. 3 ; PL XVIII. figs. 1, 2, 3) is elliptical in outline, somewhat 

 broader behind (especially in the female) ; the chitinous margin is narrow and does not 

 form a complete ridge across the shell below the spine ; it forms two slightly expanded 

 wings behind, and its uncovered marginal part is narrow ; the dorsal surface is marked 



1 Appellof, loc. cit. The tentacles had been remo-ved from both the Challenger specimens. 



(ZOOL. CHALL. EXP. — PAKT XLIV. — 1886.) Xx 17 



