Relationship between beak morphological variables and body size and mantle length of male and female Argentine shortfin squid (Illex argentinus)

Beak of cephalopod is an important hard tissue. Understanding the morphology of beak can yield critical information on the role of cephalopods in the ecosystem. The south patagonic stock of the Argentine shortfin squid, Illex argentinus, is not only one of the most important fishing targets, but also one of the most important species in the marine eco-system of the southwest Atlantic. A total of 430 samples of I. argentinus, including 229 females 103?C346mm in mantle length (ML) and 201 males 140?C298mm in ML, were collected from the area off the Exclusive Economic Zone of Argentinean waters by Chinese squid jigging vessels during February to May 2007. The morphology of their beaks was evaluated. The relationships between beak morphological variables and ML differed significantly among males and females. They could be best described by logarithmic functions for females and linear functions for males except for upper wing length (UWL) and lower rostrum length (LRL), which followed exponential functions in their relationships with ML. The results showed the sexual dimorphism in the relationship between ML and beak morphology for the south patagonic stock of I. argentinus. However, no significant difference was found between males and females in the relationships of beak morphological variables (except for UWL) versus body weight (BW), suggesting that the relationship between beak morphological variables and BW can be used for estimating the biomass consumed by their predators.