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Stauroteuthis syrtensis Description Continued

Martin Collins, Richard E. Young, and Michael Vecchione
  1. Arms
    1. Subequal in length; 70-85% of total length.
    2. Web 2/3 of arm length, ending approximately at sucker 25.
    3. Each arm with 55-65 suckers.
    4. Cirri long, up to 50 mm; first rudimentary cirri present before sucker 3 or 4; cirri end at web margin at sucker 19-24.

  2. Digestive tract
    1. Esophagus slightly expanded but not a distinct crop. Buccal mass with a single large posterior salivary gland on surface (see Aldred et al., 1983) according to Vecchione and Young, 1997, but two pairs of small salivary glands according to Collins and Henriques, 2000. (Insert in drawing to right shows a dorsal view of the buccal mass of S. syrtensis with two pairs of salivary glands, from Collins and Henriques, 2000. Compare this with the single pair shown on the overall lateral view of the digestive tract, from Vecchione and Young, 1997). Anal flaps, ink sac, radula absent. Posterior region of lips near beaks and more distal region within lips with large masses of secretory glands.
    2. Stomach and caecum small and similar in size.
    3. Digestive gland a single lobe connected to caecum by two ducts.
    4. Esophagus, stomach and caecum with dark red pigmentation.
    5. 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. Lateral view of the digestive tract of S. syrtensis. Drawing modified from Vecchione and Young, 1997. Insert - Dorsal view of buccal mass with paired salivary glands. Drawing from Collins and Henriques (2000).

  3. Mantle cavity
    1. Mantle cavity lined by darkly pigmented epithelium.

  4. Beaks
    1. The upper beak (drawing on the near right) has a gently curving rostral edge. The lower beak (drawing on the far right) has an elongate rostrum and a hood that is nearly flat in profile along the crest. Bar is 10 mm.
    2. 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. Side view of the beaks of S. syrtensis, upper jaw (left), lower jaw (right). Drawings from Collins and Henriques, 2000.

  5. Reproductive tracts
    1. Male reproductive (illustration on near right) and female reproductive tract (illustrated on far right).
    2. 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. Reproductive tracts of S. syrtensis. Left - Male. Right - Female. Drawings modified from Collins and Henriques, 2000.

  6. Shell
    1. The shell us U-shaped with large wings flattened dorsolaterally where fins attach. Bar is 20 mm.
    2. 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. Shell of S. syrtensis. Left - Side view. Right - Top view.  Drawings from Collins and Henriques, 2000.

  7. Measurements and counts
    Specimen S. syrtensis
    Holotype
    USNM 00382471
    NMSZ
    1994128.
    45605
    NMSZ
    1994128.
    45601
    IOS
    "Discovery"
    51014
    "C.ebersbachii"
    Holotype
    ZUB36371
    NMSZ
    1994128.
    45604
    IOS
    "Discovery"
    52104
    IOS
    "Discovery"
    50802
    Sex Female Female Female Female Male Male Male Male
    Location 48°54´N
    58°44´W
    55°37´N
    10°25´W
    56°39´N
    10°35´W
    49°26´N
    13°29´W
    42°59´N
    51°51´W
    56°58´N
    09°46´W
    56°20´N
    09°32´W
    49°39´N
    12°37´W
    Depth, m 460 2385-2415 2255 1920-1935 1100 1800-1950 1340-1390 1857-1910
    Preser. Alcohol Alcohol Alcohol Formalin Alcohol Alcohol Formalin Formalin
    TL (fixed) ca. 500 280 330 490 ca. 390 420 500 480
    ML - 53 47 72 ca. 75 50 114 68
    MW 53 45 39 46 ca. 65 45 45 38
    Head W. 44 52 43 62 ca. 75 58 75 67
    Eye diam. 30 13 15 17 25 21 28 28
    Fin W. 44 35 28 60 55 43 60 64
    Funnel L. 12 - - 37 - 26 - 27
    Gill lam. 8 8 8 8 8 8 - 8
    Arm L. 330-355 (210) 195-220 260-270 310-350 260-300 290-300 320-360 320-350
    Sucker count 55-58 58-65 56-65 - - 46+ 60-62 60-63
    Max. sucker diam. (sucker no.) - 1.8 (1-2) 1.9 (1-2) 2.2 (-3) 5.5 (7-14) 4.9 (15) 6.2 (13-15) 5.0 (13-15)
    Max. cirrus L. 32 25 27 34 35 21 37 38
    Cirri start 5-6 2-3 2-3 2-3 - 3-4 3-4 3-4
    Cirri end 22-23 20-22 22-25 22-24 - 20-22 24-26 23-26
    Maturity Mature Mature Mature Mature - Mature Mature Mature
  8. All table measurements are in mm. IOS - Institute of Oceanographic Sciences (now the Southampton Oceanography Centre). NMSZ - National Museum of Scotland. ZUB - University of Bergen, Museum of Zoology. Diam. - diameter; L - Length; lam - lamella; Max. - maximum; MW - mantle width; TL - total length; Wt. - weight. The table, slightly modified in form, is from: Collins and Henriques (2000).

References

Collins, M. A. and C. Henriques. 2000. A revision of the family Stauroteuthidae (Octopoda: Cirrata) with redescriptions of Stauroteuthis syrtensis and S. gilchristi. J. Mar. Biol. Ass. U.K., 80: 685-697.

Vecchione, M. and R. E. Young. 1997 Aspects of the functional morphology of cirrate octopods: locomotion and feeding. Vie Milieu 47(2):101-110.

About This Page

Martin Collins
Aberdeen University, Aberdeen, UK


University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA


National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D. C. , USA

All Rights Reserved.

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