New records of the giant squid Architeuthis dux in the southern Indian Ocean

Yves Cherel (1)

1 CEBC - Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé

Only one specimen of Architeuthis dux was previously reported from the southern Indian Ocean. The present work adds ten new records of giant squid in the area. Two remains of fresh specimens have been collected from La Re¤ union Island (218S) and Amsterdam Island (388S) in tropical and subtropical waters, respectively. Eight other squid were identi¢ed from beaks found in stomach contents of sleeper sharks caught in Kerguelen waters (47 to 488S) located in the southern Polar Frontal Zone. These new data together with published and unpublished information on the food of seabirds and marine mammals indicate that giant squid have a wide distribution throughout the southern Indian Ocean.

Domaines: Biodiversité et Ecologie; Environnement et Société

Yves Cherel. New records of the giant squid Architeuthis dux in the southern Indian Ocean. marine biological assosciation of the United Kingdom, 2003, 83, pp.1295-1296. ⟨hal-00189568⟩