ABSTRACT: Recent observations from trawling and submersibles have shown several species of cephalopods to be common in slope-waters of the western North Atlantic Ocean. The slope-water cephalopods include the commercially important genus Illex, taxonomy of which remains troubling in the area off Charleston because of the possibility that I. oxygonius is a hybrid. Other common species include another ommastrephid Ornithoteuthis antillarum, single species of Mastigoteuthis, Brachioteuthis, and Pholidoteuthis, several cranchiids, histioteuthids, and sepiolids, two octopodids, the pelagic incirrate octopod Haliphron atlanticus, and the cirrate octopod Stauroteuthis syrtensis. Behavior and distribution of these species contrast with those of truly open-ocean cephalopods, which are also present in slope waters. In-situ observations have shown that several of the squids are more strongly associated with the bottom than was previously supposed and that many of the slope-water cephalopods exhibit unexpected behaviors.

Fig Ia: Illex illecebrosus Off Cape Hatteras, October 1989. Swimming with fins, just above the bottom. AVI video (506 Kb) MPEG video (382 Kb)

Fig Ib: Ornithoteuthis antillarum Bahamas, October 1988, dive # JSLII 1000. Sinking obliquely. AVI video (1,278 Kb) MPEG video (676 Kb)

Fig Ic: Brachioteuthis (beanii?) Off Cape Hatteras, October 1994, dive # JSL I 3750. Swimming with fins; tentacle clubs locked together. AVI video (1,237 Kb) MPEG video (651 Kb)

Fig Id: Pholidoteuthis adami Off Cape Hatteras, October 1989, dive # JSL I 2629. Hovering in "J-posture." AVI video (1,074 Kb) MPEG video (591 Kb)

Fig Ie: Mastigoteuthis magna Off Cape Hatteras, October 1994, dive # JSL I 3750. Note inverted "Y" appearance, complex fin motions, and extremely elongated tentacles. AVI video (1,289 Kb) MPEG video (693 Kb)

Fig If: Histioteuthis sp. (prob. H. reversa) Dive # JSLII 2264. Drifting near bottom in characteristic posture, trailing strands of mucous. AVI video (1,250 Kb) MPEG video (617 Kb)

Fig Ig: Bathypolypus arcticus Off Cape Hatteras, September 1989, dive # JSL I 2627. On bottom. AVI video (1,333 Kb) MPEG video (658 Kb)

Fig If: Stauroteuthis syrtensis East of Cape Hatteras, September 1989, dive # JSL I 2621. Drifting in a bell-shaped posture, sculling with fins. AVI video (1,333 Kb) MPEG video (658 Kb) Other cephalopods mentioned in the text also have video on Cephalopods in Action, including: Haliphron atlanticus Taonius Pavo Teuthowenia megalops