Midwater cephalopods in the western North Atlantic Ocean off Nova Scotia

The midwater fauna off Nova Scotia was sampled with large pelagic trawls over bottom depths of 169–4800 m on seven cruises between August 1986 and June 1989. We identified, counted, and measured mantle length (ML) of all 3661 cephalopods collected on these cruises. These specimens comprised about 63 species in 28 families. The ten most abundant families were (in rank order) Ommastrephidae, Enoploteuthidae, Pyroteuthidae, Histioteuthidae, Brachioteuthidae, Cranchiidae, Mastigoteuthidae, Octopoteuthidae, Onychoteuthidae, and Alloposidae. Although Illex illecebrosus was the most numerous species (1156 specimens in 54 samples), Abraliopsis hoylei (679 in 90, respectively), Histioteuthis reversa (164 in 72), and Pterygioteuthis gemmata (327 in 69) were collected more frequently. Large squids collected here include 3 cranchiids, Teuthowenia megalops (max. ML = 370 mm), Galiteuthis armata (308 mm), and Taonius pavo (300 mm), as well as mature female Gonatus fabricii (275 mm) and Illex illecebrosus (235 mm). Among the 47 species with <10 specimens, noteworthy examples include Chiroteuthis joubini, Chiroteuthis capensis, Joubiniteuthis portieri, Histioteuthis meleagroteuthis, Pholidoteuthis boschmai, Lepidoteuthis grimaldi, Heteroteuthis dispar, Vampyroteuthis infernalis, and Stauroteuthis syrtensis.