Vertical distribution of cephalopods at 30°N 23°W in the North Atlantic

A total of 618 cephalopods comprising 29 identified species and 98 young unidentified larvae were collected at 30° N 23° W in opening–closing rectangular midwater trawls (RMT combination net), an Isaacs Kidd midwater trawl equipped with an openingclosing bucket and a British Columbia midwater trawl. Discrete horizons were fished between the surface and 2000 m and day and night vertical distribution for the more common species is described. Material is sufficiently abundant to draw tentative conclusions on the vertical distributions of 16 species. These show a wide variety of migratory and non-migratory behaviour including diel migration, ontogenetic migration and static distribution at various depths and over various depth ranges.