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Mastigoteuthis schmidti: Description from Degner, 1925

Richard E. Young and Michael Vecchione
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Introduction

Degner (1925) described M. schmidti from a single squid, 46 mm ML, that had both tentacles intact.

Description

Figure. Oral view of a sucker of M. schmidti from the middle of arm II. Drawing from Degner (1925).

Figure. Oral view of a club sucker of M. schmidti. Drawing from Degner (1925).

  1. Arms
    1. Inner rings of arm suckers with 13-14 slender teeth distally; 11-12 broad, short teeth proximally (Degner, 1925) (drawing at near right).
    2. Arm sucker 0.15 mm in diameter (Degner, 1925).

  2. Tentacles
    1. Club length 60% of tentacle length (Degner, 1925).
    2. Proximally suckers in 7 series; become 20-23 series by distal third of club (Degner, 1925).
    3. Club suckers with smooth inner rings; outer rings with 13 placks medially; long pegs (3-4 times others) on distal placks (Degner, 1925).
    4. Club sucker 0.05 mm diameter (Degner, 1925).

  3. Funnel
    1. Funnel locking-apparatus with tragus and antitragus (Degner, 1925).

  4. Mantle
    1. Tubercules absent from mantle and elsewhere.

  5. Fins
    1. Fin length (without tail) 65% of ML (without tail); fin width 79% of ML (without tail) (Degner, 1925).

  6. Photophores
    1. Integumental photophores present over entire body, including dorsal surface of fins (Degner, 1925).
    2. Eyelid photophores absent.

  7. Pigmentation
    1. Color in alcohol pale brownish with dark scattered chromatophores.

  8. Measurements
    Source Degner, 1925
    Sex ?
    Mantle length 46
    Mantle width 16
    Fin length 30
    Fin width 37
    Arm I, length 18
    Arm II, length 27
    Arm III, length 28
    Arm I, sucker no. 62
    Arm II, sucker no. 80
    Arm III, sucker no. 76-80
    Arm IV, sucker no. 80-84
    Arm IV, length 56
    Tentacle length 135
    Club length 86

Comments

M. schmidt is not clearly differentiated from M. grimaldii or M. agassizii. In both species eyelid photophores about the same size as the integumental photophores could have been overlooked. We place this species in the synonomy of the first-named species M. agassizii.

Distribution

Type locality: North Atlantic, Bay of Biscay at 46°30'N, 7°00'W. 

References

Degner, E. 1925. Cephalopoda. Report on the Danish Oceanographical Expeditions 1908-10 to the Mediterranean and Adjacent Seas, 2(9):1-94.

About This Page


University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA


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

Correspondence regarding this page should be directed to Richard E. Young at and Michael Vecchione at

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