Note

Stauroteuthis gilchristi Description Continued

Martin Collins, Richard E. Young, and Michael Vecchione
  1. Arms
    1. Arms subequal in length with slight decrease in length from I to IV.
    2. Distal third of arms without web: Web ends about sucker 25.
    3. Each arm with 55-65 suckers.
    4. Cirri long, up to 40 mm or 60% of head width.
    5. Rudimentary cirri appear before sucker 2 or 3.
    6. Cirri end between suckers 19-24.

  2. Digestive system
    1. Digestive tract similar to S. syrtensis. Note the two pairs of salivary glands.
    2. Radula, ink sac and anal flaps absent.
    3. 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 digestive tract of S. gilchristi, female, 390 mm TL (fresh). Drawing from Collins and Henriques, 2000.

  3. Reproductive tracts
    1. Male reproductive system similar to that of S. syrtensis but accessory gland is smaller.
    2. Seminal vesicle packed with oval spermatophores emeshed in gelatinous material.
    3. Spermatophores 1-2 mm long; sperm 75 um in length.
    4. Female reproductive system similar to that of S. syrtensis. No females examed were fully mature
    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. Reproductive tracts of S. gilchristi. Left -  Male, 540 mm TL (fresh). Right -  Female, 390 mm TL. Drawings from Collins and Henriques, 2000.

  4. Beaks
    1. Side views of upper (near right) and lower (far right) beaks show general shape.
    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 views of the beaks of S. gilchristi. Left -  Upper beak. Right - Lower beak. Drawings from Collins and Henriques, 2000.

  5. Shell
    1. The shell is similar to that of S. syrtensis.
    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. Lateral (left) and dorsal/ventral (right) views of the shell of S. gilchristi; drawings from Collins and Henriques, 2000.

  6. Pigmentation
    1. Dark pink or purple pigmentation around mouth extends down oral surface of arms for 2/3 of arm length, then becomes lighter.
    2. Aboral surfaces of arms transparent.
    3. Mantle cavity with heavily pigmented epithelium.

  7. Measurements
    Specimen Male
    Holotype
    BMNH
    Male
    BMNH
    Male
    NMSZ
    1999058.001
    Male
    NMSZ
    1999058.002
    Male
    USNM
    893772
    Male
    BMNH
    20000077
    Female
    NMSZ
    1999058.003
    Female
    NMSZ
    1999058.005
    Female
    BMNH
    20000078
    Location So. Africa So. Africa So. Georgia So. Georgia So. Georgia So. Georgia So. Georgia So. Georgia So. Georgia
    Wt. (fresh), g - - 1200 820 736 940 240 240 241
    TL (fresh) - - 600 540 490 540 430 390 340
    TL (fixed) 165 127 364 361 441 418 311 273 319
    ML - 25 65 60 70 65 43 40 43
    MW 31 18 46 44 58 62 29 30 35
    Head W. - 22.5 72 65 81 84 45 39 40
    Eye diam. 9 7 26 25 30 28 12 11 11
    Fin W. 18 16 55 45 60 60 35 35 38
    Gill lam. 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8
    Funnel L. - 9 - - 27 34.5 25 18 -
    Arm L. 100-115 - 295-310 270-295 370-400 340-380 210-250 215-225 220-260
    Sucker counts 63 60 60-63 58-62 60-65 60-61 58-65 58-62 57-62
    Max. suc. diam. (sucker no.) 2.2 (6-10) 2.1 (8-10) 7.9 (7-11) 8 (6-11) 9 (7-12) 8 (7-12) 3.9 (7-12) 4.8 (7-12) 4.4 (7-12)
    Max. cirrus L. 18 14 36 32 40 35 25 27 25
    Cirrus start 1-2 2-3 2-3 2-3 2-3 2-3 2-3 2-3 2-3
    Cirri end, AI 23-24 21-23 20-22 - 18-23 20-23 20-22 22-24 20-23
    Web depth - - 130-150 150-180 140-180 120-140 - 95-110 -
    Maturity - - Mature Mature Maturing Maturing Maturing Maturing Maturing
  8. All table measurements are in mm. 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.

About This Page

Martin Collins
Aberdeen University, Aberdeen, UK


University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA


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

Page: Tree of Life Stauroteuthis gilchristi Description Continued Authored by Martin Collins, Richard E. Young, and Michael Vecchione. 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.

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