The Recent Cephalopoda of New Zealand

Abstract

The systematics of the New Zealand recent Cephalopoda are considered. Thirty-two species are admitted. One species previously recorded, Octopus communis Park, is reduced to synonymy. Two names previously applied to New Zealand species are shown to be wrongly applied and for one a new specific name was found to be necessary, Histioteuthis cookiana n.sp. An analysis of the shells of the species of Argonauta from New Zealand showed that nodosa and tuberculata cannot be separated on shell characters. The endemic element among littoral forms was found to be high, 86%, the planktonic forms showing strong Australian and Indo-Pacific affinities.