Gonatus californiensis Young 1972

Introduction

Gonatus californiensis is a slender squid with a high number of suckers on its tentacular club. It attains a length of at least 315 mm GL and is found primarily in the Northeast Pacific although stragglers occasionally reach Hawaiian waters.

Diagnosis

A Gonatus with ...

• about 215-270 suckers on the tentacular club.
• about 40-80 suckers on the medial region of the tentacular stalk.
  

Characteristics

1. Arms
1. Number of suckers in proximal half of each arm IV at > 65 mm GL = 51-57.
2. Tentacles
   1. Clubs 17-24% of GL.
   2. Club dactylus with 7-8 irregular series at proximal end, decreasing to 4 series in mid-dactylus.
   3. Club ventral-marginal zone with 4-5 series of suckers in central region; medial suckers ca. one-half diameter of suckers of marginal series.
   4. Club dorsal-marginal zone with 2-3 irregular series dorsal to large central hook.
   5. Club medial zone with large central hook; medium distal hook and proximal series with usually 3-5 small hooks followed proximally by usually 1-2 suckers.
   6. Total number of suckers (excluding terminal pad and medial zone) on tentacular club: about 215-270.
   7. Median region of tentacular stalk between marginal series with ca. 40-80 scattered suckers.
      
   

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   Figure. Oral views of the tentacle and club of G. californiensis, 112 mm PL, holotype. Top - Right tentacle. Middle - Enlargement of the tentacular club. Drawings from Young (1972). Bottom - Left tentacle, image reversed for easier comparison with drawings. Photograph by R. Young. See also the photograph of a club of a large G. californiensis on the Gonatus page.
   

3. Head
1. Beaks. Descriptions can be found here: Lower beak; upper beak.
   
   
4. Photophores
   1. Photophores absent.
      

Comments

 More details of the description of G. californiensis can be seen here.

At PL of ca 60-65 mm number of suckers on arms IV no longer increases with increasing size.

Life History

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Figure. Chart of the size ranges over which hooks in juveniles of G. californiensis first appear. Chart modified from Young (1972).

Distribution

Type locality: Eastern North Pacific Ocean off Southern California at 33°32'N, 118°24'W. The distribution of G. californiensis is confined to the California Current region of the Eastern North Pacific.

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Figure. Distribution of G. californiensis. Dark pink area indicates known range; light pink area indicates inferred range. Chart modified from Okutani, et al. (1988). 

References

Okutani, T., T. Kubodera and K. Jefferts. 1983. Diversity, distribution and ecology of gonatid squids in the subarctic Pacific: A review. Bull. Ocean Res. Inst., Univ. Tokyo, No. 26 (1):150-192.

Young, R. E. 1972. The systematics and areal distribution of pelagic cephalopods from the seas off Southern California. Smithson. Contr. Zool., 97: 1-159.