Ecology Summary - Stigmatoteuthis hoylei

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Ecology of Stigmatoteuthis hoylei

Main Ref.	Roper, C.F.E., M.J. Sweeney and C.E. Nauen, 1984
Remarks	Off Hawaii, occurs between depths of 100 and 850 m; in daytime it concentrates at 500 to 700 m (range 355 to 850 m) and vertically migrates at night to depths of 100 to 500 m with 85% concentrated at 150 to 300 m. In the northwestern Pacific transitional warm core rings and cold water, this species is a non-migrant, remaining below 400 m. Analysis of stomach contents from sperm whales off Japan suggests that mature females occur in a dense aggregation adjacent to an isolated oceanic rise. This species is extremely important prey for sperm whales and other odontocete whales, including short-finned pilot whales and Hubb’s beaked whale. Other predators include blue sharks in the northwestern Pacific. It is reported from the stomachs of swordfish off the west coast of Baja California, Mexico. Analysis of the dimorphic eyes suggests that the large left eye points upward and the small right eye points ventrolaterally when the animal is in its normal oblique, arms downward, position. This enables the squid in its daytime depth of 500 to 700 m, to use its large eye to utilize the dim daylight from above, while the small right eye perceives bioluminescent light from the side and below (Ref. 97142).

Main Ref.

Roper, C.F.E., M.J. Sweeney and C.E. Nauen, 1984

Remarks

Off Hawaii, occurs between depths of 100 and 850 m; in daytime it concentrates at 500 to 700 m (range 355 to 850 m) and vertically migrates at night to depths of 100 to 500 m with 85% concentrated at 150 to 300 m. In the northwestern Pacific transitional warm core rings and cold water, this species is a non-migrant, remaining below 400 m. Analysis of stomach contents from sperm whales off Japan suggests that mature females occur in a dense aggregation adjacent to an isolated oceanic rise. This species is extremely important prey for sperm whales and other odontocete whales, including short-finned pilot whales and Hubb’s beaked whale. Other predators include blue sharks in the northwestern Pacific. It is reported from the stomachs of swordfish off the west coast of Baja California, Mexico. Analysis of the dimorphic eyes suggests that the large left eye points upward and the small right eye points ventrolaterally when the animal is in its normal oblique, arms downward, position. This enables the squid in its daytime depth of 500 to 700 m, to use its large eye to utilize the dim daylight from above, while the small right eye perceives bioluminescent light from the side and below (Ref. 97142).

Aquatic zones / Water bodies

	Marine - Neritic	Marine - Oceanic	Brackishwater	Freshwater
Marine zones / Brackish and freshwater bodies	supra-littoral zone littoral zone sublittoral zone	epipelagic mesopelagic epipelagic abyssopelagic hadopelagic	estuaries/lagoons/brackish seas mangroves marshes/swamps	rivers/streams lakes/ponds caves exclusively in caves

Highighted items on the list are where Stigmatoteuthis hoylei may be found.

Habitat

Substrate	Pelagic;
Substrate Ref.	Norman, M., 2003
Special habitats
Special habitats Ref.

Associations

Ref.	Roper, C.F.E., M.J. Sweeney and C.E. Nauen, 1984
Associations
Associated with
Association remarks
Parasitism

feeding

Feeding type	mainly animals (troph. 2.8 and up)
Feeding type Ref.	Hoving, H.J.T., J.A.A. Perez, K.S.R. Bolstad, H.E. Braid, A.B. Evans, D. Fuchs, H. Judkins, J.T. Kelly, J.E.A.R. Marian, R. Nakajima, U. Piatkowski, A. Reid, M. Vecchione, J.C.C. Xavier, 2014
Feeding habit
Feeding habit Ref.

Trophic Level(s)

Estimation method	original sample		unfished population		Remark
Estimation method	Troph	s.e.	Troph	s.e.	Remark
From diet composition
From individual food items	3.45	0.48			Trophic level estimated from a number of food items using a randomized resampling routine.
Ref.

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Aquatic zones / Water bodies

Habitat

Associations

feeding

Trophic Level(s)