Pholidoteuthis adami Voss, 1956

Introduction

This is a large, moderately muscled squid that reaches a ML of 78 cm., and is thought to be very abundant in the upper Gulf of Mexico (Voss, 1956) and common off the east coast of the United States to New England (MV, pers. observations). One squid was seen from a submersible hovering just above the bottom on the continental slope off North Carolina (east coast, U.S.A.) (see Distribution).

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Figure. Dorsolateral view of P. adami, 230 mm ML, captured off the east coast, U.S.A. Photograph by Mike Sweeney.

Characteristics

1. Arms
   1. Longest 65-75% of ML.
      
      
2. Tentacle
   
   1. Details of the tentacular club can be seen here.
      
      
3. Head
   
   1. Beaks: Descriptions can be found here: Lower beak; upper beak.
      
      
4. Mantle
   1. Mantle covered with dermal cushions.
      

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      Figure. Ventral view of anterior mantle margin of P. adami, slope waters south of New England, ca. 350 mm ML. Photograph by John Galbraith, NMFS.

      Scanning electron microgaphs of the dermal cushions can be seen here.
   
   
5. Gladius
   1. Gladius with secondary conus.
      
      
6. Fins
   1. Fin length 70-75% of ML

Comments

Basal arm suckers have pointed teeth on the distal half of inner ring, while suckers from mid-arm have teeth all around the margin of the inner ring, although the teeth are larger distally.

Nomenclature

Leta (1987) described Pholidoteuthis uruguayensis from off Uruguay. Nesis and Nikitina (1990) synonymized this with P. adami.

Distribution

The type locality is the Gulf of Mexico, 29°12'N, 88°08'W.

The distribution is confined to the Western Atlantic from off New England to the Gulf of Mexico and to Uruguay. Large individuals are generally caught in bottom trawls in the bathyal region and are, therefore, thought to be bottom associated.

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Figure. Side view of P. adami seen hovering just above the bottom on the continental slope off North Carolina (east coast, USA). Video frame taken from the Johnson SeaLink submersible off Cape Hatteras, USA, 17 Oct. 1989 at 0826 hrs.

References

Goldman, D. A. 1995. A juvenile of the scaled squid, Pholidoteuthis adami Voss, 1956 (Cephalopoda: Oegopsida), from the Florida Keys. Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 108: 136-146.

Nesis, K. N. 1982. Abridged key to the cephalopod mollusks of the world's ocean. 385+ii pp. Light and Food Industry Publishing House, Moscow. (In Russian.). Translated into English by B. S. Levitov, ed. by L. A. Burgess (1987), Cephalopods of the world. T. F. H. Publications, Neptune City, NJ, 351pp.

Roper, C. F. E., R. E. Young and G. L. Voss. 1969. An illustrated key to the families of the order Teuthoidea. Smiths. contr. zool. 13:1-32.

Voss, G. L. 1956. A review of the cephalopods of the Gulf of Mexico. Bull. Mar. Sci. Gulf Carib. 6:85-178.