Walvisteuthis rancureli (Okutani 1981)

Onykia rancureli Okutani, 1981

DIAGNOSIS.—Mantle robust, short, conico-cylindrical, width about 50% ML. Arm I slightly shortest, other arms subequal in length. Sucker counts about 50 per arm. Tentacle robust and rather short, with 26 or 27 biserial hooks and several marginal suckers on manus, 9 or 10 pads on fixing apparatus, and 7–9 small suckers on dactylus. Gladius with strong rachis and small conus and rostrum.

ORIGINAL DESCRIPTION.—Okutani, 1981:155, figs. 1–9.

TYPE LOCALITY.—Central Indian Ocean, 07°51′S, 88°02.5′E, removed from the stomach of a lancetfish measuring 1410 mm fork length.

DEPOSITION OF TYPES.—Holotype: NSMT Mo-59498; National Science Museum, Tokyo, Japan.

Paratypes (3): NSMT Mo-59490–92; deposition same as holotype.

DISTRIBUTION.—Central Indian Ocean to entire tropical Pacific. This species is very frequent in the diets of lancetfish and tunas.