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Neoteuthis thielei: Sucker Structure
Richard E. Young and Michael Vecchione
Arm suckers:
Although the arm III sucker (left) is much larger than the arm IV sucker
(right), the dentition is very similar. Both suckers have broad truncated
teeth although the arm III sucker has slightly more teeth than the arm
IV sucker.
Tentacular club suckers:
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Oral (left) and side (right) views of a large distal-manal sucker.
Note:
- 26 sharp, pointed teeth.
- Lobate inner edge of outer ring.
|
|
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Oral-oblique view of a small sucker from proximal-manus (left).
Note:
- Circular shape of sucker and its orifice.
- 13 teeth all around inner ring; largest teeth on distal margin.
- Three concentric series of plates with pegs on outer ring.
- The narrow width of largest pegs relative to peg length.
|
The photograph on the right show the relative sizes
of the suckers pictured above. Left - Arm III sucker. Left-middle
- Large distal-manal sucker. Right-middle - arm IV sucker. Right -
Proximal-manal sucker. |
|
Comments
These SEM photographs of the North Pacific N. thielei are very
similar to those of a North Atlantic N. thielei. SEM photographs
of the North Atlantic specimen can be seen here.
Illustrations
- Top left - Sucker number 20 from arm III. Photograph.
- Top right - Sucker number 20 from arm IV. Photograph.
- Upper-middle left - Oral view of large distal-manal sucker from the
ventral medial series, third sucker from proximal end of the distal-manus..
Photograph.
- Upper-middle right - Oblique-side view of the same distal-manal sucker.
Photograph.
- Lower-middle - Sucker from the distal, expanded region of the proximal-manus.
Photograph.
- Bottom - Same four suckers side-by-side. Photograph.
All photographs are scanning electron micrographs taken by R. Young.
About This Page
University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA
National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D. C. , USA
Page copyright © 2003 and
Page: Tree of Life
Neoteuthis thielei: Sucker Structure
Authored by
Richard E. Young and Michael Vecchione.
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