A Review of the Cephalopods of the Gulf of Mexico
Voss GL. 1956. A Review of the Cephalopods of the Gulf of Mexico. Bulletin of Marine Science of the Gulf and Caribbean (Bulletin of Marine Science). 6(1):85-178
Three hundred and three specimens of cephalopods are reported upon, mostly captured by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service vessel OREGON in the Gulf of Mexico from 1950 to 1956. Thirty-five genera and 42 species are described and illustrated, of which 1 genus and 4 species arc described as new. The following species are recorded as occurring within the confines of the Gulf of Mexico: Spirula spirula, Rossia tenera, R. eqzwlis, R. bullisi, R. torwgaensis, R. antillensis, Pickfordiatertthis pulchella, Lolliguncula brevis, Loligo pealei, Sepioteuthis sepioidea, Doryteuthis plei, Lycoteitthis diadema, Oregoniateuthis springeri, Abralia veranyi, Abraliopsis sp., Octopodoteuthopsis megaptera, Onychia caribaea, Onychoteuthis banksi, A ncistroteuthis lichtensteini, Pholidoteuthis adami, Architeuthis physeteris, Calliteuthis reversa, Bathyteuthis ahyssicola, Illex illecebrosus, Ommastrephes pteropus, Chiroteuthis lacertosa, Mastigoteuthis sp., Grimalditeuthis bonplandi, Cranchia scabra, Vampyroteutlzis infernalis, Opisthoteuthis agassizi, Tetracheledone spinicirrus, Octopus rulgaris, O. jouhini, O. briareus, O. burryi, Danoctopus schmidti, Pteroctopus tetracirrhus. Benthoctopus januarii, Alloposus mollis, Tremoctopus violaceus and Argonauta argo. This list increases the number of known species from the Gulf of Mexico from 26 to 42. Telecteutlzis agilis Verrill is placed in the synonymy of Onychia caribaea Lesueur and the status of Calliteuthis reversa Verrill is discussed. On the basis of the present collections the Gulf of Mexico is considered to be an embayment of the open ocean with most of the cephalopodan fauna being derived from the North Atlantic. Less than I 0 per cent of the cephalopods are endemic and apparently these are confined to benthic species. Since most of the collections were obtained by means of commercial trawls little is known concerning the presence of planktonic species and only I1 cranchiid is recorded.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Voss, Gilbert
- Units
- SFCN
- Keywords
- Cranchiid, embayment, Endemic, Fauna, Planktonic Species