Note

Iridoteuthis iris: Description continued

Richard E. Young and Michael Vecchione
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Figure. Dorsolateral view of I. iris.  Photograph by Thomas Burch.

  1. Arms (Harman and Seki, 1990)
    1. Males: Each arm I with 20-28 suckers (mean 24.4); each arm II with 22-31 suckers (mean 25.1); each arm III with 24-31 suckers (mean 27.1); proximal half of each arm IV with 10-20 relatively large suckers, distal half with 70+ smmall suckers.
    2. Females: Each arm I with 18-32 suckers (mean 28.3); each arm II with 24-45 suckers (mean 39.0); each arm III with 18-27 suckers (mean 22.0); each arm IV with proximal half with 6-14 relatively large suckers in proximal half and next quarter with 10-30 smaller suckers.
    3. Arm bases proximal to suckers, in females, covered with small flattened papillae.
    4. 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. Oral view of arm bases of I. iris, female, showing papillate region. Photograph by R. Young.

  2. Tentacles (Harman and Seki, 1990)
    1. Tentacular club with two sucker fields: distal half with minute, crowded suckers (ca. 19 suckers across), proximal suckers slightly larger, less crowded (ca. 11 across).
    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. Oral view of the tentacular club of Iridoteuthis iris. Drawing from Harman and Seki (1990).

    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. Oral view of the tentacular club of I. iris. Arrow points to tentacle organ. Note sucker sizes. Blue color from methylene blue stain. Photograph by R. Young.

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      Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window

      Figure. Oral views of tentacular club suckers of Iridoteuthis iris. Left - Sucker from distal field of small suckers. Right - Sucker from proximal field of larger suckers. Scanning electron micrographs from Harman and Seki (1990).

  3. Funnel
    1. Funnel locking-apparatus with deep, angled, anterior pit.
    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. Funnel/mantle locking-apparatus of I. iris, Hancock Seamount, 29°46'30"N, 179°03'36"E, NMNH 817723, left in photographs is anterior. Top - Side-oblique view of the mantle component. Bottom - Frontal view of the funnel component. Photographs by M. Vecchione.

  4. Mantle (Harman and Seki, 1990)
    1. Dorsal mantle broadly fused to head (fusion approximately reaches posterior midpoints of eyes).
    2. Ventral-mantle shield large (ca. 80% of ventral mantle length); extends nearly to anterior margin of eyes; with medial anterior indentation.
      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. Mostly ventral view of I. iris, preserved, showing the ventral shield and its anterior indentation.Photograph by R. Young.

    3. Mantle with pronounced middorsal arch.
      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 I. iris showing the pronounced dorsal hump on the mantle. Left - Drawing, 24 mm ML, from Harman and Seki (1990). Right - Photograph, preserved, 10 mm ML, by R. Young.

  5. Fins
    1. Fins with pointed posterior lobes; fins extend to posterior margin of mantle (beyond margin in preserved animals).
    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. Dorsal view of I. iris, preserved, showing the pointed posterior fin lobes. Photograph by R. Young.

  6. Photophore
    1. Visceral photophore with strongly elevated papillae each composed of two  two distinct tubes.
    2. Photophore tubes located at lateral edges of photophore. Presumably the tubes enter the photophore between the "lens" and the ink sac but this needs confirmation.
    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. Posteroventral view of the visceral photophore of I. iris, preserved, showing pores to the photophore laterally positioned, elevated and with two distinct ducts. Photograph by R. Young.

  7. Pigmentation
    1. Posterior region of head between edge of secondary eyelid and collor with distinct chromatophore-free band.
    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. Ventrolateral view of the posterolateral portion of the head of I. iris, showing  chromatophore pigmentation in the region where the lateral funnel adductor attaches. Arrow points to chromatophore-free band. Photograph by R. Young.

  8. Measurements and counts (Harman and Seki, 1990)
    Sex Male  Male
    Male
    Male
    Female  Female
    Female
    Female
    Mantle length  8.5  11.5  15.5  24.1  9.5
    13.0
    15.5
    28.4
    Total length  19.5  31.0  41.0  60.1  24.0  28.5  32.0  46.6 
    Head width  12.5  14.5  18.0  20.2  13.5  15.0  17.3  17.4 
    Ventral mantle length  13.0  20.0  24.5  30.0  13.5  20.0  21.5  29.8 
    Mantle width  7.0  11.0  13.5  16.2  7.5  10.5  11.4  15.0 
    Shield length  11.5  17.0  20.5  24.8  12.3  17.0  20.9  26.9 
    Eye diameter  7.5  11.0  13.5  15.7 6.7  10.0  11.5  14.5 
    Eye lens diameter  3.0  3.0  4.4  4.5  2.5  3.5  2.0  3.4 
    Fin width  26.5  28.5  37.0  42.5  21.3  29.0  32.1  36.0 
    Fin length  12.5  16.0  19.0  21.8  12.4  16.5  17.7  18.4 
    Fin base  6.0  8.0  19.5  12.2  6.2  7.0  8.4  7.7 
    Tentacle club length  4.5  5.0  6.5  7.1  3.5  6.0  6.0  9.5 
    Tentacle length  21.0  29.0  26.0  41.5  11.0  35.0  31.0  51.8 
    Arm I, length  6.0  14.0  19.5  23.2  7.5  9.0  10.3  13.9 
    Arm II, length
    6.0  14.0  19.5  23.3  8.0  9.0  10.4  15.5 
    Arm III, length
    7.5  15.0  22.5  28.2  9.0  10.0  13.8  14.9 
    Arm IV, length
    6.0  11.0  15.0  20.1  8.0  9.5  11.4  16.3
  9. Type 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

    Figure. Side (left), ventral (middle) and dorsal views of the holotype of I. iris. Drawings from Berry (1914).

References

Berry, S. S. 1914. The Cephalopoda of the Hawaiian Islands. Bull. U. S. Bureau Fisheries, 32: 257-362, 11 plates.

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 Michael Vecchione at

Page: Tree of Life Iridoteuthis iris: Description continued Authored by 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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