Arrow Squid?

[tonmo]

I got this email this morning... any thoughts?

Hi Tony. Is this an arrow squid. Seems a bit big to me. Kaikoura, floating dead on surface yesterday.
Cheers
A.J.
Kaikoura Ocean Research Institute

 

[Heather Braid]

I would say it's not an arrow squid - they don't get that big. I think it might be a Totorodes, another (larger) ommastrephid, but it's hard to tell. I can't really give an ID without seeing some features close up (like funnel-locking cartilage or the beak). Since we have a squid taxonomy lab in NZ, he could always ship it to us? Either that or if we could get some close up pictures we could probably narrow it down.

 

[tonmo]

Thanks Heather! I've pointed him to this thread.