Vissen naar dwerginktvissen (Sepiolidae) in de Golf van Biskaje: nieuwe waarnemingen en nieuwe inzichten

In October 2012 we had the opportunity to join for 2 weeks the French research vessel ‘Thalassa’ (Ifremer) in the Bay of Biscay. During our stay, in 11 days time, 45 standard hauls were made to monitor the fish stock. The depth of the hauls ranged between 26 and 538 meters. We counted and identified all the cephalopods. We were able to recognize 22 species; among these were 1 specimen of the rarely fished Octopus salutii (425m) and 2 specimens of the deepsea bobtailsquid, Stolonoteuthis leucoptera (455-499m). A remarkable observation was the occurrence of a few specimens of Rondeletiola minor among a population of Sepiola atlantica with a matching color pattern of chromatophores. For the first time we had the opportunity to photograph and compare the photophores, present within the mantle cavity of Sepiola, Rondeletiola en Stolonoteuthis.