The extensive Discovery collections of cephalopods, which were previously housed at the National Institute of Oceanography at Wormley, have now been transferred to the Natural History Museum in London. In addition to about 8,000 lots of unworked material there are preserved specimens from Malcolm Clarke's work on the diet of Sperm Whales, including the giant species such as Architeuthis and the less well-known Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni in which the tentacular club hooks rotate through 360 degrees.

These collections have transformed the Natural History Museum's cephalopod holdings from a collection of largely historical material, rich in types, to one that possesses large series of specimens. Juvenile deep-sea squid are particularly well-represented but there is a broad representation ranging from cephalopods of the oceans' depths to littoral and epipelagic octopods and squid. This material is not available on loan but cephalopod workers are encouraged to work on these collections at the Natural History Museum.

Enquiries should be made to: Fred Naggs, The Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD.
Telephone: 0171 938 928. Fax: 0171 938 8754

Email: F.Na...@nhm.ac.uk

Photos:

Teuthowenia megalops from 1390 m, jar approx 20 cm high

Bathyteuthis, approx 6 cm

Cranchiid from 6-100 m, approx 4 cm

Chiroteuthis with 'hair brush' clubs on long tentacles, from 3995-3910 m, approx 20 cm

Epiplanktonic octopods, approx 1-1.5 cm

Scaly mantle of Lepidoteuthis

Onychoteuthis approx 8 cm, from 0-130 m

Tentacle club of Mesonychoteuthis, showing rotating hooks.