Rediscovery of Ram’s horn squid, Spirula spirula (Cephalopoda: Spirulidae), from the Arabian Sea

• Published in: Journal of the Marine Biological Association of India
• Main Authors: Sajikumar, K K, Rajeeshkumar, M P, Laxmilatha, P, Manjebrayakath, Hashim, Venkatesan, V, Saravanane, N
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Marine Biological Association of India, Kochi 2022
• Subjects: Cephalopods; Molluscan Fisheries; DML
• Online Access: http://eprints.cmfri.org.in/16005/; http://eprints.cmfri.org.in/16005/1/Journal%20of%20Marine%20Biological%20Association%20of%20India_2022_Sajikumar%20K%20K.pdf; http://mbai.org.in/php/journaldload.php?id=2627&bkid=128; https://doi.org/10.6024/jmbai.2022.64.1.2282-12

This study describes the rediscovery of the largely uncommon, mesopelagic cephalopod, Spirula spirula, from the Arabian Sea. This is the first confirmed record of the species from the seas around India after 80 years of its original record. Four specimens were collected from the Arabian Sea from a depth of 450 m, during the fishery surveys onboard the FORV Sagar Sampada, using a mid-water trawl net. The dorsal mantle length (DML) of the individuals ranged from 27 to 36 mm. Detailed morphometric measurements and previous distribution records are also provided.