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Abralia astrolineata Berry 1914

Kotaro Tsuchiya
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Containing group: Abralia

Introduction

A. astrolineata is a large sized species for this genus attaining 100mm DML, and known only from a very limited area along the slope of the Kermadec Islands and coast of Queensland, eastern Australia and just north of Samoa (Nesis,1982/87; pers. observation).

Brief diagnosis:

An Abralia (Astrabralia) with ...

Characteristics

  1. Tentacle clubs
    1. About four hooks on ventral side.
    2. Two rows of large suckers on dorsal side of manus.
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    Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window

    Figure. Oral view of the tentacular club of A. astrolineata. Drawing from Riddell (1985).

  2. Hectocotylus
    1. Right ventral arm of male hectocotylized.
    2. Hectocotylus with two subequal sized off-set flaps with flap of ventral margin more proximal than that of dorsal margin.
    Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window
    Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window

    Figure. Oral view of the hectocotylus of A. astrolineata. Drawing from Tsuchiya (2000). Note the relativelly large, photophores at the arm tip.

  3. Eye Photophores
    1. Five large silvery organs of subequal size.

  4. Integumental Photophores
    1. Ventral mantle with distinctly four, distinct longitudinal stripes of photophores with broad spaces between stripes.
    2. Ventral head with three distinct, longitudinal stripes of photophores.
      Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window
      Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window

      Figure. Ventral view of A. astrolineata, female, 47 mm ML, showing integumental photophores. Insert shows closer view of large ellipsoidal photophores (arrows) near arm tip. Photograph by R. Young.

  5. Terminal Arm Photophores
    1. Arm IV with 3-4, large, ellipsoidal photophores near tip.
    2. Terminal suckers absent on oral side arms opposite photophores in both sexes (as in Abraliopsis).

  6. Caudal Photophores
    1. At mantle apex, a pair of ellipsoidal photophores buried in tissue.

Comments

The three photophores at the tips of arms IV, a feature which is shared with A. astrosticta, is similar to the arrangement in genus Abraliopsis except that they are  smaller. These terminal organs are pigmented in young A. astrolineata (as in species of Abraliopsis) but not in A. astrosticta .

Distribution

Vertical distribution

A. astrolineata seems to be a component of mesopelagic boundary community in the subtropical South Pacific.

Geographical distribution

This species was first described from the Kermadec Islands. Nesis (1982/87) also recorded this species from off Queensland, eastern Australia.

References

Berry, S.S. 1914. Notes on a Collection of Cephalopods from the Kermadec Islands. Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute, 46(24):134-149.

Nesis, K. N. 1982/87. Abridged key to the cephalopod mollusks of the world's ocean. 385,ii pp. Light and Food Industry Publishing House, Moscow. (In Russian.). Translated into English by B. S. Levitov, ed. by L. A. Burgess (1987), Cephalopods of the world. T. F. H. Publications, Neptune City, NJ, 351pp.

Riddell, D.J. 1985. The Enoploteuthidae (Cephalopoda: Oegopsida) of the New Zealand Region. Fisheries Research Bulletin (N.Z. Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries), 27:1-52.

Tsuchiya, K. 2000. Illustrated book of the Enoploteuthidae. In: Okutani T., ed. True face of Watasenia scintillans. Tokai University Press, Tokyo, p 196–269. (in Japanese)

Title Illustrations
Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window
Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window
Scientific Name Abralia astrolineata
Location Kermadec waters
Reference Riddell, D.J. 1985. The Enoploteuthidae (Cephalopoda: Oegopsida) of the New Zealand region. Fisheries Research Bulletin (N.Z. Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries), 27:1-52, 33 figures.
Creator D.J. Riddell
Sex Female
View Ventral
Size 52 mm ML
About This Page


Tokyo University of Fisheries, Tokyo, Japan

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Citing this page:

Tsuchiya, Kotaro. 2014. Abralia astrolineata Berry 1914. Version 21 January 2014 (under construction). http://tolweb.org/Abralia_astrolineata/19651/2014.01.21 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/

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