Histioteuthis inermis (Taki 1964)

Histioteuthis corona inermis (Taki, 1964)

The following description of this least known subspecies of corona is based on data from nine juveniles, 34–53 mm ML, including Taki's original three specimens; four recently caught juveniles, 34–53 mm ML, from the localities of the types, Tosa Bay and Suruga Bay, Japan, reported by Okutani et al. (1987); and two unreported juveniles, 39 mm ML and 49 mm ML, from Suruga Bay that we discovered during the workshop in the collections of the USNM (USNM 816306).

DESCRIPTION.—Fins large, length about 45%–60% ML, width about 70%–90% ML; inner web connecting basal portions of arms I–III low to vestigial; rings of suckers on entire lengths of arms I–IV smooth; rings of enlarged suckers on the tentacular club manus with about 20–27 narrow, conical teeth.

Circlet of 16 or 17 (rarely ? 15) photophores around right eye; photophores arranged in 3 longitudinal rows on basal portions of arms IV.

ORIGINAL REFERENCE.—Taki, 1964:287, figs. 21–33, pl. 1: figs. 3, 4.

TYPE LOCALITY.—Off Kambara, Suruga Bay, Japan (∼35°N, 138°E).

DEPOSITION OF TYPES.—Holotype: Zoological Institute, College of Science, Kyoto University, uncataloged, sex undetermined, 42 mm ML, collected by Kiichi Nakazawa, 1932.

Paratypes: Two specimens, whereabouts unknown.

DISTRIBUTION.—Histioteuthis corona inermis occurs in the northwestern Pacific (Figure 12), where the 10 known specimens were taken in six net collections from off the east coast of Japan between 33°N and 35°N in Tosa, Suruga, and Sagami bays and off the Kii Peninsula (Taki, 1964, 1981; Okutani et al., 1987; USNM 816306). They were collected at depths between about 420–600 m.