FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes Western

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764 Cephalopods
Loliginidae LOLIGINIDAE
Inshore squids, pencil squids
by M.C. Dunning
Diagnostic characters: Shape variable from short and stout to long and slender. Fins terminal or
marginal, but always reaching posterior end of body (present in Uroteuthis as very thin membranes
around the “tail”). Funnel locking apparatus a simple, straight groove. Eyes covered with transparent
membrane (cornea). Buccal connectives attached to ventral borders of arms (IV); 7 buccal lappets
supplied with small suckers (can be readily lost after capture). Mouth surrounded by 10 appendages
(8 arms, 2 tentacles). Two longitudinal rows of suckers on arms and 4 rows on tentacular clubs; hooks
never present. Usually, left ventral arm (IV) hectocotylized in males; hectocotylus with suckers reduced
in size or number, and/or modified into fleshy papillae or flaps, or lost completely. Colour: translucent to
dense colour, bright scarlet (in some species with yellow and pink chromatophores) to dark brown (nearly
black), darker dorsally, but highly variable depending on the behavioural situation and degree of expansion
of chromatophores.
eye covered by funnel
ventral
membrane groove
row of
suckers
ventral view
ventral (4 th )
pair of arms
corneal
membrane
fin angle
funnel
funnel
locking
cartilage
4 longitudinal
rows of
suckers
tentacular club
tentacle
mantle
locking
cartilage
dorsal
row of
suckers
pedicels
gladius
(internal skeletal mantle
support) feather-shaped
modified
portion
with
reduced
suckers
arms I beak (jaws)
arms IV
(left arm hectocotylized in males)
hectocotylized
arm of males
arm II
diagram of oral surface of
brachial crown and buccal area
buccal
membrane
arm III
buccal lappets
often with
suckers
buccal
connectives
ventrally
attached