Document Type

Article

Department/Program

Virginia Institute of Marine Science

Publication Date

1981

Journal

Journal of Shellfish Research

Volume

1

Issue

2

First Page

171

Last Page

180

Abstract

The long-finned squid Loligo pealei was the most common squid collected in 2 years of zooplankton sampling over the Middle Atlantic Bight off New Jersey and Virginia. Planktonic specimens of L. pealei were found in that area during spring, summer, and fa ll; there were no indications of multiple stocks. This species was captured in waters with a salinity range of 31.5 to 34.0 ppt, and was confined to coastal waters except when current conditions, such as the passage of a Gulf Stream eddy, resulted in strong, offshore surface transport. While abundances were greater in night surface samples, larger specimens occurred in night subsurface samples indicating ontogenetic descent. Tentacle length was closely correlated with dorsal mantle length (DML) in preserved specimens of less than 4.5 mm DML, indicating that tentacles are noncontractile in newly hatched specimens. This may be part of a major discontinuity in the development of L. pealei which separates hatchlings from juveniles

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