H. B. Kiek.— On the Anatomy of Sepioteuthis bilineata. 145 



Art. VI.— On the Anatomy of Sepioteuthis bilineata, Quoy and Gaimard. 

 By H. B. Kiek, M.A. 

 [Read before the Wellt7igton Philosophical Society, 31st October, 1883.] 

 Plates HI. -VIII. 

 (Note.— Owing to my having been unable, until -within the last week or 

 two, to obtain large and perfect specimens, I have not, as a rule, introduced 

 other than relative measurements. The drawings, except those from the 

 microscope, are natural size; and with the exception of pis. v., vi., vii., 

 fig. 1, and viii., figs. 5-9, are made from the specimen figured at pi. hi. I 

 regret that I have been unable to replace all the drawings by those of large 

 specimens. The largest specimen I have seen measures 14 inches along 

 the posterior surface of the mantle, this length not including any portion of 

 the fins. To avoid confusion of terms, I have described the animal as 

 though it were in a walking position, head downwards ; but have adopted 

 the practice, sanctioned by Professors Nicholson and Huxley, of showing 

 the drawings in the reverse position. The terms anterior and posterior are 

 applied to the so-called " dorsal " and " ventral " surfaces respectively.) 



The distribution of Sepioteuthis bilineata is given by Professor Hutton 

 (Manual of N.Z. Mollusca, 1880) as from Wellington to Auckland. In 

 Wellington Harbour it is tolerably abundant during late spring and 

 summer ; but, with the exception of a few small ones in July, I have 

 never seen a specimen during the winter months. Professor Hutton points 

 out that there is nothing in Dr. Gray's description of 8. major that does 

 not apply to this species. The habitat of S. major is given as Cape of 

 Good Hope (Catalogue of Mollusca in the British Museum) ; but Dr. Gray's 

 description is very brief. Moreover, he gives S. bilineata in his catalogue. 



External Characters. 

 The body is elongated and somewhat cylindrical in shape, but is flat- 

 tened on the posterior surface, and still more so on the anterior surface. 

 Its widest part is immediately above the base of the mantle, thence it 

 narrows regularly to its extremity, where it is rounded. The edge of the 

 mantle forms a complete collar round the " neck." On the anterior aspect 

 of the animal the mantle-border is produced into a marked angle on the 

 median line, this angle lodging the anterior extremity of the internal shell. 

 From this point it recedes towards the posterior aspect, rising slightly on 

 either side of the funnel, but immediately falling away in a well-defined 

 curve at the base of the funnel. The two slight angles formed by the pro- 

 duction of the posterior mantle-border mark the tips of the " articular " 

 cartilages, adapted to fit into the " hinge " cartilages of the funnel. 

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