On the Distribution of Pelagic Cephalopods in the Arabian Sea

From April to June of 1987 R/V Meteor collected zooplankton and micronekton samples in the northeastern part of the Arabian Sea. One hundred and fifty-seven cephalopod specimens were captured by oblique IKMT hauls through water depths from 1,000 to 0 m and identified to the lowest possible taxon. Thirteen species of nine families were recorded. The majority of the specimens were early life stages of pelagic oceanic species. The cranchiid squid Liocranchia reinhardti was the dominant form (108 specimens) followed by the enoploteuthid squids Abraliopsis lineata (22) and Abralia marisarabica (9). Size-frequency compositions and maps of the geographical distribution are compiled for the most abundant species. The data reveal a tropical cephalopod fauna and will improve the poor knowledge on the distribution patterns of pelagic cephalopods in the Indian Ocean.