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Cranchia scabra (Figure 2A) was represented in cruise collections by eight small specimens (ML 6.7���15.3 mm). The manus was unexpanded (Figure 3A), with ~16 rows of four small suckers, of equal size across each transverse row and all of similar morphology along the manus and dactylus. Each sucker possessed a single row of elongate-polygonal-faced pegs proximally and two rows of smaller circular-faced pegs distally. The margin of the infundibular ring was smooth proximally and distally, or distally produced into several low, rounded teeth., Published as part of Bolstad, K. S. R., Perez, J. A. A., Strugnell, J. M. & Vidal, E. A. G., 2014, Cranchiids of the South Atlantic Mid-Oceanic Ridge: results from the first southern MAR-ECO expedition, pp. 1351-1371 in Journal of Natural History 49 (21) on page 1357, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2013.867375, http://zenodo.org/record/4006219

Statolith microstructure was studied in two abundant planktonic cranchiids, Cranchia scabra (56 specimens, 38-127 mm mantle length, ML) and Liocranchia reinhardti (34 specimens, 99-205 mm ML) sampled in epipelagic waters of the western part of the Gulf of Guinea (tropical Atlantic). Growth increments were revealed in ground statoliths of both species. It was possible to dis- tinguish two growth zones in statolith microstructure by their colour in reflected light of the micro- scope: the translucent postnuclear zone and pale white opaque zone. Assuming that growth increments in statoliths were produced daily, ages of the largest immature Cscabra and L.ranhardti were 166 and 146 days, respectively. Both cranchiids are fast-growing squids with growth rates in length resembling those of juveniles of tropical ommastrephids and Thysanoteuthis rhombus. Liocranchia reinhardti grows fasten its growth rate in ML is approximately twice that of same-aged Cscabra.Thc life cycle of both cranchiids consists of two phases. During their epipelagic phase, Oscabra and Lreinhardti feed and grow rapidly from paralarvae to immature young in the epipelagic waters, attaining 120-130 and 170-200 mm ML by ages of 4-5 months, respectively. Then they change their life style to a deepwater phase.

During a cruise in March 1988 dedicated to investigation of the marine resources of South Africa's continental slope, 62 species in 22 families of Cephalopoda were collected from the Cape Canyon and Cape Point Valley. Multivariate analysis revealed a clear distinction between cephalopods of the upper and lower continental slope in both benthic and epibenthic habitats. Todaropsis eblanae and Todarodes angolensis were indicator species for the upper slope benthic, from 300 to 500 m, but on the lower slope, in 700–900 m of water, they were replaced by Histioteuthis miranda and Opisthoteuthis agassizii. In the epibenthic, both upper and lower slopes were dominated by Abraliopsis gilchristi and Lycoteuthis ?diadema, but other species characteristic of the lower slope were the oceanic species Mastigoteuthis hjorti, Ctenopteryx sicula and Taonius sp. A. Cranchia scabra indicated the presence of oceanic water at stations 700–900 m deep. Other species of significance in the catches were Todarodes filippovae, Histi...

The capture of a female specimen of Cranchia scabra Leach, 1817, a species not previously recorded in the Mediterranean Sea, is reported from Majorca (Balearic Islands, north-western Mediterranean), Sí

The cartilaginous tubercles of the mantle of the squid Cranchia scabra have been examined with the scanning electron microscope. Some tubercles are small, simple nodules whereas others are large with a complex Maltese cross form. The varying shapes and sizes probably represent a developmental sequence. The possible role of the tubercles is discussed.

The squid fauna of the New Zealand region contains at least 16 species of Cranchiidae and 2 of Gonatidae. Their synonymies, diagnoses, and descriptions are revised, and a key for identification of cranchiids is presented. Two cranchiid subfamilies are accepted. The Cranchiinae comprise three genera, Cranchia (monotypic) and Leachia and Liocranchia (each with two species). Loligopsis schneehagenii, Zygaenopsis pacifica, Pyrgopsis atlantica, Drechselia danae, and Leachia dislocata are here synonymised with Leachia eschscholtzii. Cranchia scabra, Leachia cyclura, L. eschscholtzii, and Liocranchia reinhardtii occur in New Zealand seas. The Taoniinae comprise 11 genera, Taonius, Megalocranchia, Galiteuthis, Hensenioteuthis, Sandalops, Bathothauma, Helicocranchia, Teuthowenia, Fusocranchia, Mesonychoteuthis, and Egea. Phasmatopsis cymoctypus is restored to Taonius and Toxeuma belone is placed in this genus also, both as type species with T. pavo; diagnostic features of the three species are compared in...

Epidermal scales of the squid Cranchia scabra are composed of tissue which stains metachromatically with toluidine blue, and which is similar in appearance to hyaline cartilage.