Beak length analysis of Moroteuthis ingens (Cephalopoda: Onychoteuthidae) from the Falkland Islands region of the Patagonian shelf

• Published in: Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom
• Main Authors: Jackson, George D, Buxton, Nicole G, George, Magnus John Alexander
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: 1997
• Subjects: Southern Ocean
• Online Access: https://eprints.lancs.ac.uk/id/eprint/146362/; https://doi.org/10.1017/S0025315400038765

A detailed analysis of beak length to body length and weight measurements was carried out for the onychoteuthid squid Moroteuthis ingens, in the Falkland Islands region of the South Atlantic. Lower and upper rostral lengths were both good predictors of mantle length and body weight. In addition, the relationships of freshly dissected beaks to mantle length and body weight were significantly different to those of beaks dried before measuring, with dried beaks being better predictors of both variables. A considerable amount of information on Southern Ocean squid biology has been obtained from analysis of beaks in the stomach contents of predators (Clarke, 1980,1983). Beak analysis can be particularly useful as it provides information on the species preyed upon as well as estimates of squid size and biomass ingested.