Parasitic ‘turbellarians’ are known from various animals such as echinoderms, crustaceans, annelids, bivalve and gastropod molluscs. So far, however, no ‘turbellarians’ have been reported from cephalopods. In this paper we report a parasitic ‘turbellarian’ from the giant Antarctic octopus, Megaleledone setebos. We dissected two specimens of M. setebos caught in the Ross Sea (Antarctica) and found numerous worms in their intestine and liver. The worms were spherical or oblong and had two morphologically different poles. The frontal pole bears a small conical protrusion containing large elongated pear-shaped frontal glands and large polygonal cells. The ducts of the frontal glands open terminally to form the frontal organ. The caudal pole has an opening shaped as a folded tube connected by the genital pore with a common genital atrium, which continues into a canal with a muscular sheath. The worms were identified as ‘turbellarians’ from the family Notenteridae (Fecampiida). This family contains only one species, Notentera ivanovi, reported from the gut of a polychaete at the White Sea. The worms that we found in the gastrointestinal tract of the octopuses were morphologically similar to N. ivanovi but differed from it in several important respects. Phylogenetic analysis based on 28S rDNA gene showed that the newly found worm clustered together with other fecampiids in a highly supported clade and was closely related to N. ivanovi. On the basis of these morphological and molecular data, we described a new species, Octopoxenus antarcticus gen. nov., sp. nov. (Fecampiida: Notenteridae), establishing a new genus to accommodate it and provided an updated diagnosis of the family Notenteridae. This is the first report of a parasitic ‘turbellarian’ from a cephalopod mollusc.

This study concerns the cephalopod species that are part of the diet of the small-spotted catshark Scyliorhinus canicula and the longnose spurdog Squalus blainville sampled by commercial trawlers in the Aegean Sea from 2005 to 2012. Based on the examined cephalopod beaks, 15 species were identified belonging in six families of Teuthida, one of Sepiida and two of Octopoda. The diversity of cephalopod prey species was higher for S. canicula (N = 15) than for S. blainville (N = 10). Nektonic cephalopods comprised the majority (>72%) of the preyed species by both sharks, among which about 55% inhabit the demersal zone and 45% the mesopelagic. In the diet of S. canicula, the demersal squid Illex coindetii and the pelagic sepiolid Heteroteuthis dispar were equally represented composing 20% of prey specimens, followed by the small-sized squid Abralia veranyi and the demersal sepiolid Rossia macrosoma. The latter species was substituted in the diet of S. blainville by the demersal medium-sized octopod Scaeurgus unicirrhus, which with the equally represented three other species, composed 50% of the cephalopod prey. Differences observed between S. canicula and S. blainville in the condition of beaks retained in their stomach contents and in the variation of prey species diversity by predator specimen size, may imply differences in their foraging tactics (hunting for prey vs scavenging on the bottom), habitats and stomach evacuation frequency.

Stomach content analysis was used to assess the feeding habits of Acanthocybium solandri based on samples obtained on purse seine fishing trips off the Pacific coasts of Central and South America. A total of 226 samples were obtained; 160 stomachs contained food and 33 prey taxa were identified. Based on the Prey Specific Index of Relative Importance (%PSIRI), cephalopods and fishes were the main prey groups (50.4 and 49.5% PSIRI). Dosidicus gigas (23.4% PSIRI), Stenoteuthis oualaniensis (9.9% PSIRI) and Argonauta spp. (9.4% PSIRI) were the most representative prey. Acanthocybium solandri is a generalist predator based on the results of the Amundsen analysis and niche breadth (Ba = 1).

Mosasaur taxa currently known from Campanian-Maastrichtian strata in the Liège-Limburg (SE Netherlands, NE Belgium) and Mons (southern Belgium) basins are listed and briefly discussed and their stratigraphic ranges indicated. Recently published and/or ongoing work on coleoid and ammonoid cephalopods in these areas allows tie points between NW Europe and the United States (Western Interior, Gulf Coast, Atlantic Seaboard) to be established. Future studies need to refine the resultant, rather crude, scheme. The ultimate aim is a more robust picture of mosasaur taxonomy, biostratigraphy and palaeobiogeography, and a detailed evaluation of migratory patterns across the Atlantic.

The commercially important chokka squid Loligo reynaudii occurring in South African waters is currently managed on a single-unit stock hypothesis. We tested this assumption through a spatial comparison of the morphology throughout the distributional range of the species. Forty-three morphometric characters were measured from 1079 chokka collected off the south coast of South Africa, the west coast of South Africa, and southern Angola. While no significant differences were found in the hard body parts, results from classification analysis showed that though all four types of morphometric attributes (soft body parts, beaks, statoliths, sucker rings) resulted in some separation, the most consistent separation of samples from the three regions was based on soft body part morphometric characters. On average, though dependent on the model, the overall correct classification rate ranged from 0.68–0.99 for males and 0.7–0.99 for females in all three regions. Previous DNA analysis had revealed some genetic differences between west coast and south coast samples, suggesting the confluence of the cold Benguela and warm Agulhas current may act as the approximate point of a phenotypic and possible genetic breakpoint. Finer scale genetic analysis of samples collected across the Benguela–Agulhas confluence reported no significant genetic structuring in this area suggesting environmental heterogeneity and not restriction of genetic flow/isolation as the primary driver of the observed phenotypic divergence.

Malcolm Roy Clarke (1930–2013) was a British teuthologist who made an important contribution to marine science in the Azores archipelago (Portugal). Malcolm started doing research in the Azores from 1980s onward, settling for residency in 2000 after retirement (in 1987). He kept publishing on Azorean cephalopods collaborating in 20% of the peer reviewed works focusing on two main areas: dietary studies; and the ecology of cephalopods on seamounts. Since his first visit in 1981, he was involved in the description of the dietary ecology of several cetaceans, seabirds, and large pelagic and deep-water fish. Using his own data, Malcolm revised the association of cephalopods with seamounts, updating and enlarging the different cephalopod groups according to species behaviour and ecology. Malcolm taught several students working in the Azores on cephalopods and beak identification, lecturing the Third International Workshop in Faial (2007). He empowered the recently established research community, by providing important contacts with foreign institutes and informal advice. He collaborated in the regional cetacean stranding network (RACA) and was an active member of the advisory board of the journal Arquipelago—Life and Marine Sciences. But the scientific role of Malcolm Clarke in the Azores went beyond his academic activities. In the last 10 years Malcolm and Dot Clarke dedicated themselves to building and running a museum on Pico Island, showing the biology of the sperm whale and its interaction with squid; a cultural and touristic legacy for future generations to enjoy.

Cephalopods (Mollusca: Cephalopoda) play an important role as keystone invertebrates in various marine ecosystems, as well as being a valuable fisheries resource. At the World Malacological Congress, held 21–28 July 2013 in Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal, a number of cephalopod experts convened to honour the contribution of the late Malcolm R. Clarke, FRS (1930–2013) to cephalopod research. Endorsed by the Cephalopod International Advisory Council (CIAC), the meeting discussed some of the major challenges that cephalopod research will face in the future. These challenges were identified as follows: (1) to find new ways to ascertain the trophic role and food web links of cephalopods using hard tissues, stable isotopes and novel concepts in theoretical ecology; (2) to explore new approaches to the study of cephalopod morphology; (3) to further develop cephalopod aquaculture research; (4) to find new ways to ascertain cephalopod adaptation and response to environmental change; (5) to strengthen cephalopod genetics research; and (6) to develop new approaches for cephalopod fisheries and conservation. The present paper presents brief reviews on these topics, followed by a discussion of the general challenges that cephalopod research is bound to face in the near future. By contributing to initiatives both within CIAC and independent of CIAC, the principle aim of the paper is to stimulate future cephalopod research.

Shepherd's beaked whale Tasmacetus shepherdi is one of the most poorly known cetaceans, whose diet has created some speculation given that its dentition differs greatly from that of most other beaked whales that are primarily teuthophagous. The few stomachs examined previously have given seemingly conflicting dietary information. In this paper the stomach contents of a freshly stranded adult female on Tristan da Cunha have been examined through identification of trace elements and genetic analysis of soft parts. At least 13 cephalopod and 8 fish species were identified from beaks and otoliths respectively, but only undigested fish remains were present in the stomach and identified genetically as Beryx splendens. Reconstituted masses totaled 8809 g for cephalopods and 17,554 g for fish, with four species (Histioteuthis atlantica, Taningia danae, Ommastrephes bartrami and Pholidoteuthis ‘A’) comprising 78.6% of the cephalopods and one species (B. splendens) comprising 87.4% of the fish eaten. It is concluded that Tasmacetus may alternately exploit fish and cephalopods, depending on the time of day and access to seamount or continental slope areas.

This study details the feeding ecology of arrow squid, Nototodarus gouldi, collected opportunistically from trawlers in waters south-east off Australia in 2007 and 2008. Combined stomach content and fatty acid (FA) signature analyses provided clear evidence of seasonal dietary shifts in prey composition. Teleost fish remains (mainly otoliths) were found in 67% of stomachs with the two mesopelagic planktivorous fish, Lampanyctodes hectoris and Maurolicus muelleri dominating. Cephalopods and crustaceans were supplementary dietary components, with an increased representation in the diet over winter. Digestive gland lipid content was moderate (16.4 ± 8.4% wet weight) and was rich in triacylglycerol and monounsaturated fatty acids. Multivariate analysis of FA profiles grouped arrow squid with profiles of mesopelagic fish and cephalopods, thus supporting the findings of stomach content analysis. Seasonal differences in total lipid content were likely related to summer upwelling events and local changes in productivity, while intraspecific differences in lipid class and FA composition were related to seasonal differences of prey consumption. FA analyses also demonstrated dietary differences associated with gender, size and female maturation. Such relationships demonstrate that the diet of N. gouldi is closely linked to prey size, abundance and availability and possibly also, to key life-history stages.

Very little is known about the life history of Robsonella fontaniana. In particular, there are no descriptions of the early life stages that enable correct identification of samples taken from the wild. In this work, eggs and hatchlings are described from egg clutches obtained in the field with brooding females and incubated until hatching. Individual eggs exhibited marked differences in stages of embryonic development within egg clutches or even within a single egg string. For one clutch collected at early stages of embryonic development, embryogenesis took 91 days at 11.5 °C and for a second clutch at intermediate developmental stages it took 68 days at 11 °C and 39 days at 14 °C. For the later clutch the hatching period lasts 25 days at 14 °C. The eggs and paralarvae were small, with an egg length of 3.9–5.2 mm, a dorsal mantle length of 2–3 mm and a total paralarvae length of 3.4–6.0 mm. Chromatophore shape and distribution presented a very distinctive pattern. Characteristics of the eggs, egg strings and paralarvae make it possible to distinguish the early stages of R. fontaniana from those of other octopodid species found off the Atlantic coast of Patagonia.

The cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) is the most important traditional fishing activity in the Sado estuary. In order to analyse the spatial and temporal distribution patterns and to study the reproductive cycle of this species, twenty sampling areas were towed along the estuary on a monthly basis from May 2001 to April 2002. The higher densities were obtained in summer and autumn in the lower and southern area of the estuary while spring showed the higher biomass. Mature individuals prevailed in the inner zone of the estuary during spring while juveniles were dominant in autumn and concentrated in the lower part of the estuary. Almost all individuals leave the estuary during winter. The weight–length relationship was significantly different according to sex, being females heavier than males for individuals larger than 106 mm. Sex-ratio was similar to 1:1 in every season. Females had high values of gonadosomatic index during the spawning season with a major peak in June, while males showed similar values throughout the spawning season. The length at first maturity was estimated at 80 mm mantle length (ML) for females and 59 mm ML for males. In the Sado estuary only one generation of cuttlefish breeders were found with an average of 110 mm ML for males and 122 mm ML for females, which is consistent with breeders in their first year.

Trials with a new kind of fishing trap, the Japanese baited pot (JBP), were performed in the Atlantic for the first time, covering three target depths, 25 m, 75 m and 125 m in the Azores. The JBPs were proved to be efficient and highly specific to octopus. An average catch per unit of effort (CPUE) of 0.22 octopuses/trap/hour*100 was attained, and the highest mean value was reached at the shallowest depths (28 m ±4), with 0.33 octopuses/trap/hour*100. A decreasing CPUE with depth was observed, in accordance with what has been found for this species elsewhere. Considering the management measures enforced in the European Union for this species (minimum allowable catch size of 750 g), we found that ~25% of the caught octopuses by JBP were composed of marketable octopuses. The success of the JBP for Octopus vulgaris in the Azores and its specificity suggests that these traps may be useful for further stock assessment studies.

Stomach contents were analysed from 23 cetaceans, including individuals of 12 species from the families Delphinidae, Physeteridae, Kogiidae and Ziphiidae, stranded between 1996 and 2006 in the Canary Islands. Cephalopod mandibles (beaks) were found in 21 stomachs and fish remains (otoliths and jaw bones) appeared in 4 stomachs. Two stomachs contained only eye lenses. Cephalopods eaten by dolphins were mainly from the families Ommastrephidae, Sepiidae and Enoploteuthidae, whereas whales had mainly taken specimens of the oceanic squid families Histiotheutidae and Cranchiidae. Fish remains included a pelagic species (i.e. garfish, Belone belone) in dolphin stomachs and bathypelagic (i.e. black scabbard fish, Aphanopus carbo, lantern fish, Lampadena luminosa) and demersal species (Lophius sp.) in a pygmy sperm whale (Kogia breviceps) stomach. Most of the prey species identified are not of commercial interest but one of the sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) contained a fishing hook among the stomach contents. Five (22%) of the cetaceans examined had also plastic debris in their stomachs, with big plastic items being taken by deep diving teuthophagous whales.

In this study, the stomach contents of 116 albacore specimens, Thunnus alalunga were examined from the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Fifty-five of the 116 stomachs examined were empty. The occurrence of major prey categories in stomachs were 95.1% cephalopods, 47.5% teleosts and 39.3% crustaceans with a total of 633 individuals belonging to 14 species identified. Heteroteuthis dispar from the order Sepiolida constituted 56.40% of the main cephalopod prey followed by Onychoteuthis banksii from the order Teuthida.

Despite being an exploited and economically important species, little is known about the reproductive behaviour of Loligo forbesi. During a captive trial performed in a closed seawater system in the Azores, three spawning events were directly witnessed. An account of their main behavioural aspects is given. A number of behavioural components are described for the first time in this species: ‘pair formation’, ‘mate guarding’, ‘egg holding’, ‘egg touching’, ‘white arms’, ‘red accessory nidamental glands’, ‘accentuated testis’, and ‘jockeying and parrying’. The chromatic, locomotor and postural components were very similar to other coastal loliginids observed on spawning grounds. From egg masses recovered on octopus traps, we show that in the Azores spawning activity occurs at least between 25 and 144 m, but greater depths might be expected. We suggest that this squid preferentially deposits egg masses on hard structures probably hiding them in cracks and crevices of volcanic substrata. The existence of spawning aggregations is supported by several factors: (i) these spawning grounds may coincide with the fishing spots, where the exploitation seasonally takes place, given that most individuals caught by fishermen are usually mature (more than 80%); and (ii) mate guarding and jockeying/parrying by males was observed, which is a common feature of spawning aggregation areas, where sperm competition occurs. Furthermore, our results, combined with available published and non-published data further confirm L. forbesi as an intermittent spawner. We estimate that throughout their short life cycle, females of L. forbesi are able to perform up to six spawning events, each composed of an average of ≈2300 eggs.

The Rochdale Formation of eastern New York (= Fort Ann and lower Bascom formations, designations abandoned) is now recognized to record the earliest stages of the Great Ordovician Radiation of cephalopods. The earliest Bassleroceratidae, Tarphyceratidae and endoceridans on the east Laurentian shallow carbonate platform occur in the upper, thrombolite-bearing member of the Rochdale. This fauna demonstrates that the earliest radiation of Ordovician nautiloids took place in the late Tremadocian and is best recorded in tropical platform facies. Revision of this cephalopod fauna based on approximately 190 specimens collected along a 200 km, N–S belt in easternmost New York has provided new information on inter- and intraspecific variation of earlier described species. The ellesmerocerid Vassaroceras and the endocerids Mcqueenoceras and Paraendoceras are emended. New taxa include Bassleroceras champlainense sp. nov. and B. triangulum sp. nov., Mccluskiceras comstockense gen. et sp. nov., Exoclitendoceras rochdalense gen. et sp. nov. and Paraendoceras depressum sp. nov. A rank abundance plot of 146 specimens from a locality in the Lake Champlain lowlands provides information on the community structure of a nautiloid fauna in which the longiconic cyrtoconic Bassleroceras is shown to dominate strongly. The nautiloid community structure of the Rochdale Formation is similar to that of the underlying Tribes Hill Formation (late early Tremadocian) with respect to the depositional setting, diversity and evenness but displays a remarkably increased taxonomic distinctness.

During biological sampling of hydrothermal vents on the East Pacific Rise, the manned submersible ‘Nautile’ caught the first female of the endemic cephalopod Vulcanoctopus hydrothermalis. The specimen caught at the vent site Gromit (21°33 66′S, 114°17 98′W at 2832 m depth) is described here in detail and an amended diagnosis of the species proposed. The external morphology, measurements and internal structure resemble that of males of this species. One of the most remarkable characters is the lack of spermathecae and the absence of apical filaments in the oocytes to provide a site for sperm storage. It is suggested that some species of the genera Benthoctopus and Bathypolypus would be the most suitable octopod ancestor of V. hydrothermalis.

A female with the two tentacles bifurcated was found within a sample of 54 specimens of Moroteuthis ingens collected by a Spanish trawler fishing in the South Atlantic around the Falklands Islands during the austral spring of 2004. This is the first case of double tentacle bifurcation reported for this oegopsid squid and also for cephalopods. In spite of the lack of normal tentacles, the specimen does not show signs of malnutrition. Potential causes for this anomaly, implications to the feeding behaviour of the animal and the regeneration process are discussed.