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Walvisteuthis jeremiahi Vecchione, Sosnowski & Young 2015

Michael Vecchione and Richard E. Young
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Containing group: Walvisteuthis

Introduction


Walvisteuthis jeremiahi is the most recent species to be described in this genus. All members of the genus are very similar and difficult to tell apart. They are all short and plump with no trace of a tail. W. jeremiahi is distinguished from its close relative W. rancureli by statistical differences in counts and measurments (comparison of species is found on the Walvisteuthis page).

Brief diagnosis:

A Walvisteuthis with: 

Characteristics


  1. Arms
    1. Muscular. Arm formula: III≥IV>II>>I. Arms II-IV ~ 65% ML.
    2. Suckers biserial; sucker inner rings smooth.
    3. Arms I with 15-26-40 (range, bold = mean); arms II with 19-28-48 suckers; arms III with 17-28-48 suckers; arms IV with 16-31-48 suckers.
  2. Tentacles
    1. Clubs with 14-22.1-25 hooks; each hook sturdy and approximately bilaterally symmetrical.
    2. Club manus with 4-8 (total) marginal suckers.
    3. Terminal pad with 2-4 suckers.
    4. Carpus with 6-7.1-9 suckers and 5-9 knobs.
    5. Club length 28-40-59% ML.
      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. Tentacular clubs of the holotype of W. jeremiahi, male, 57 mm ML. Top - Oral view of the right club with distal tip damaged. Bottom - Ventral view of part of the left showing a near-profile view of the large hooks. Tips of two arms also visible. Photographs by M. Vecchione. 

  3. Head
    1. Head width 26-36-53% ML
  4. Mantle
    1. Mantle smooth, muscular and stubby; width 33-41-53% ML.
  5. Fins
    1. Fins short (length 34-42-53% ML), broad (width 81-96-129%ML) and without any posterior medial extension (i.e., no tail). 
  6. Photophores
    1. Photophores absent.
      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 W. jeremiahi, paratype, male, 44 mm ML with mantle cavity exposed. Note the absence of visceral and ocular photophores. Also note the posterior termination of the mantle and fins without any trace of a "tail." Photograph by M. Vecchione ??

  7. Gladius
    1. Gladius visible along dorsal midline and with typical Walvisteuthis shape. Maximum width ~28% GL; rostrum laterally flattened, triangular and directed dorsally.
      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. Ventrolateral view of the posterior gladius of W. jeremiahi, paratype, male, 44 mm ML showing the dorsally directed rostrum (arrow).  Photograph by M. Vecchione.

  8. Table of counts and measurements (from Vecchione, et al., 2015).
    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

Distribution

Type Locality - Gulf of Mexico at 27.8°N, 86.4°W.

Geographical Distribution - Presently known only from the Gulf of Mexico and Gulf Stream waters of the western North Atlantic.

Other Names for Walvisteuthis jeremiahi Vecchione, Sosnowski & Young 2015

References

Vecchione, M., Sosnowski, A. and Young, R. E. 2015. Walvisteuthis jeremiahi n. sp. (Mollusca: Cephalopoda), an onychoteuthid squid from the Gulf of Mexico. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 128(2): 164-175. doi:10.2988/0006-324X-128.2.164

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 Walvisteuthis jeremiahi
Location Gulf of Mexico at 27.8°N, 86.4°W
Acknowledgements Image modified from Vecchione et al., 2015
Specimen Condition Fresh
Identified By Michael Vecchione
Sex Male
View Dorsal, ventral
Size 57 mm ML
Collection USNM 1179361
Type Holotype
Image Use creative commons This media file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License - Version 3.0.
Copyright ©
Scientific Name Walvisteuthis jeremiahi
Location Gulf of Mexico at 27.8°N, 86.4°W
Comments Scale bar is 10 mm.
Acknowledgements Drawing from: Vecchione, M., Sosnowski, A. and Young, R. E. 2015. Walvisteuthis jeremiahi n. sp. (Mollusca: Cephalopoda), an onychoteuthid squid from the Gulf of Mexico. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 128(2): 164-175. doi:10.2988/0006-324X-128.2.164
Sex Male
View Ventral
Size 57 mm ML
Collection USNM 1179361
Type Holotype
Image Use creative commons This media file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License - Version 3.0.
Copyright © Amanda Sosnowski
About This Page


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


University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA

Correspondence regarding this page should be directed to Michael Vecchione at

Page: Tree of Life Walvisteuthis jeremiahi Vecchione, Sosnowski & Young 2015. Authored by Michael Vecchione and Richard E. Young. The TEXT of this page is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License - Version 3.0. Note that images and other media featured on this page are each governed by their own license, and they may or may not be available for reuse. Click on an image or a media link to access the media data window, which provides the relevant licensing information. For the general terms and conditions of ToL material reuse and redistribution, please see the Tree of Life Copyright Policies.

Citing this page:

Vecchione, Michael and Richard E. Young. 2015. Walvisteuthis jeremiahi Vecchione, Sosnowski & Young 2015. Version 11 October 2015 (temporary). http://tolweb.org/Walvisteuthis_jeremiahi/149639/2015.10.11 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/

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