Page:American Seashells (1954).djvu/581

Genus Doryteuthis Naef 191 2 Doryteuthis plei Blainville Plee's Striped Squid Florida and the West Indies. Up to 8 inches in length, including the tentacular arms. Characterized by the long, narrow, slightly wavy, dark-colored bands running back along the side of the mantle. The rest of the mantle is moderately covered with small round dots. The body is long and slender, the triangular fins on the last third of the mantle, and the arm suckers do not have pointed teeth on the horny circles. A common surface-living species of the Caribbean region. Oigopsid Squid — eyes naked in front, pupils circular; eyelids Family ARCHITEUTHIDAE Genus Architeuthis Steenstrup 1857 Architeuthis harveyi Kent Harvey's Giant Squid Figure 99c Newfoundland Fishing Banks. Total length 40 to ^s ^^^^- Body stout, nearly round, swollen in the middle. Arms nearly equal in length, all bearing sharply, serrated suckers. Tentacular arms 4 times as long as the 8 sessile arms. The peculiar backward pointing tail fins separate this species from A. princeps Verrill, another giant squid found in the same area. A large well-preserved specimen of any giant squid is worth its weight in gold. No large specimens have been brought back from the fishing banks in many years. They may occasionally be washed ashore from Nova Scotia north. If you find one, take photographs if possible, and notify one of the leading museums. Giant squid of unknown identity have been seen in the Gulf of Mexico. Family OMMASTREPHIDAE Genus lllex Steenstrup 1880 Resembhng Loligo somewhat, but with half-hidden eyes, the lids free and with a distinct notch or sinus in front. Internal pen narrow along the middle portion, and with three ribs. There are 8 rows of tiny suckers on the end section of the 2 long, tentacular arms. Further study may show that the genus lllex is the same as Ominastrephes Orbigny 1835. lllex illecebrosus Lesueur Common Short-finned Squid Figure 99b Greenland to North Carolina and the Gulf of Mexico.