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American Seashells

Total length, including tentacular arms, i to 2 feet. Easily recognized by the accompanying illustration which shows the rather long, triangular fins. The proportion of fin-length to mantle-length varies from i to 1.8 and down to a ratio of i to 1.5. Adult males have the left ventral arm conspicuously hectocotylized (see fig. 99a). A very abundant species caught commercially for fish bait in New England. Living specimens are very beautifully speckled with red, purplish and pink. Loligo opalescens Berry Common Pacific Squid Puget Sound, Washington, to San Diego, California. Total length, not including tentacles, 6 to 8 inches. This is the common squid of the Pacific Coast and can be readily recognized by the accompany- ing illustration. At certain seasons, they occur in great schools by the thou- sands. Genus Lolliguncula Steenstrup Lolliguncula brevis Blainville Brief Squid Figure 99g Delaware Bay to Florida and to Brazil. Total length, including the tentacular arms, 5 to 10 inches. Charac- terized by its short, rounded fins, very short upper arms, and large color spots. Underside of fins white. Consult the figure. Common in warm wa- ters. This is L. brevipinna Lesueur and L. hemiptera Howell. Genus Sepioteuthis Blainville 1824 Similar to Loligo, but with large, triangular fins that extend along the entire length of the mantle, thus giving the animal an oval outline. Siphonal funnel attached to the head by muscular bands. There is a strong wrinkle behind the eye. Sepioteuthis sepioidea Blainville Atlantic Oval Squid Bermuda, Florida and the West Indies. Total length, including tentacular arms, 4 to 5 inches. Characterized by the long fins which commence a short distance behind the mantle edge i}A to % inch). Internal pen thin, lanceolate and without any marginal thick- enings. Skin regularly and closely spotted with purple dots. The eggs are large, 5 to 8 mm. in diameter, and laid in long jelly tubes. A rather common, warm-water species.