First record of Taningia danae (Cephalopoda: Octopoteuthidae) in the Mediterranean Sea

Abstract

The capture of a specimen of the oceanic cephalopod Taningia danae Joubin, 1931, caught during a bottom trawl survey carried out off the Algerian coast, is reported for the first time in the Mediterranean Sea. The individual, which was taken at 385-395 m depth, was a juvenile with 55.6 mm mantle length and age of 132 days. This finding is important as there are few worldwide records of this species.