Note

Notes from type description of A. nesisi

Alexander Arkhipkin, Vladimir Laptikhovsky, and Richard E. Young
Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window
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 Figure. Ventral (top) and dorsal (bottom) views of the type specimen of Asperoteuthis nesisi.  Drawing modified from Arkhipkin and Laptikhovsky (2008).

Introduction

Asperoteuthis nesisi is based on a single, trawl-captured, large female, 36 cm ML, lacking tentacles and captured in the South Atlantic near the Falkland Islands at 53°44'S, 58°46'W.
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Figure. Ventral view of the freshly caught A. nesisi. Photograph by A. Arkhipkin.

Brief diagnosis:

An Asperoteuthis ...

Characteristics

  1. Arms
    1. Arm formula: IV>II>I>III but arms nearly subequal.
    2. Arms IV slightly the thickest.
    3. Largest arm suckers at mid-region of arm length; largest on arms II, smallest on arms IV.
    4. Suckers with 12-14 sharp, triangular teeth distally on horny rings; proximal margin smooth.
      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 a arm III sucker of A. nesisi. Drawing (left) and photograph (right) from Arkhipkin and Laptikhovsky (2008).

      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 arms of the freshly caught A. nesisi. Photograph by A. Arkhipkin. 

  2. Tentacles
    1. Tentacles missing; represented by short, slender stumps.

  3. Head
    1. Radula with 7 rows of teeth; rhachidian with 3 cusps, first laterals with 2 cusps each.
      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. Radula of A. nesisi. Drawing modified from Arkhipkin and Laptikhovsky (2008).

    2. Lower beak with well-developed lateral-wall fold, strongly angled wing fold extends nearly to tip of rostrum
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      Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window

       Figure. Beaks from A. nesisi. Left - Side view of lower beak. Middle - Oblique view of lower beak. Right - Side view of upper beak. Photographs by A. Arkhipkin.

  4. Funnel
    1. Funnel component of the funnel/mantle locking apparatus with asymmetrical antitragus, long, weakly developed tragus.
    2. Funnel valve present.
      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. Frontal view of the funnel component of the funnel/mantle locking apparatus of A. nesisi. Drawing (left) and photograph (right) from Arkhipkin and Laptikhovsky (2008).

  5. Mantle
    1. Mantle wall thin.
    2. Mantle covered with numerous, circular depressions containing more darkly pigmented skin.
    3. Muscle beneath depressions with vacuoles.
    4. Skin covered with tiny (0.1-0.2 mm high) tubercles.
      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

      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

      © Alexander Arkhipkin

       

      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 the anterior mantle of the freshly caught A. nesisi. Note the numerous circular depressions. Photograph by A. Arkhipkin. 

  6. Fins
    1. Muscular, oval, slightly wider than long.

  7. Photophores
    1. Large eyes each with single, long, longitudinal photophore on ventral surface.
      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-oblique view of the eye of A. nesisi showing the elongate ventral photophore. Drawing from Arkhipkin and Laptikhovsky (2008).

  8. Measurements and Counts (from Arkhipkin and Laptikhovsky, 2008).
    Character
    Measurements & counts
    % of mantle length
    Mantle length
    363
     
    Head length
    88
    24
    Head width
    36
    10
    Distance between eyes
    18
    5
    Maximum mantle width
    100
    28
    Fin length
    220
    61
    Fin width
    246
    68
    Arm I, length
    312
    86
    Arm II, length 
    335
    92
    Arm III, length 
    303
    84
    Arm IV, length 
    377
    104
    Sucker diameter, arm I
    3
    0.8
    Sucker diameter, arm II 
    3.5
    1.0
    Sucker diameter, arm III 
    4
    1.1
    Sucker diameter, arm IV 
    2.5
    0.7
    Eye diameter
    27
    7
    Eye photophore length
    28
    8
    No. suckers on proximal half of arm I
    41
     
    No. suckers on proximal half of arm II 
    42
     
    No. suckers on proximal half of arm III 
    41
     
    No. suckers on proximal half of arm IV 
    48
     

Comments

The above description is based on the paper by Arkhipkin and Laptikhovsky (2008).

Salcedo-Vargas (1999) described Asperoteuthis lui (Cook Strait, New Zealand) based on the partially digested arms, one tentacle and eyes of a partial specimen taken from a fish stomach. This specimen had a distinctive tentacular club and enlarged suckers on arms II and III. The latter feature apparently separates it from A. nesisi but could represent sexual dimorphism. More specimens are needed to clarify the relationship between these two species.

For a comparison of all species of Asperoteuthis, go to the Asperoteuthis page.

Sequence data are available on Genbank via the following accession numbers for COI – EU421718, 16S rRNA –EU421719 and 12S rRNA – EU421720.

Nomenclature

This species appears to have been reported previously but not named. Clarke (1980) described it as ?Mastigoteuthis A. He had two specimens from the stomach of a sperm whale landed at the whaling station on South Georgia Island which lacked tentacles. A summary of Clarke's species can be found here. Nesis (1974) referred to two large paralarvae from the southwestern Atlantic as Chiroteuthis sp. n. and later (1982/87) suggested that his species was the same as Clarke's. A summary of Nesis's species can be found here. Arkhipkin and Laptikhovsky (2008) suggest that Clarke's species probably is Asperoteuthis nesisi.

?Mastigoteuthis A and A. nesisi have been placed in the synonomy of Asperoteuthis lui by Braid (2016).

References

Arkhipkin, A. I. and V. Laptikhovsky. 2008. Discovery of the fourth species of the enigmatic chiroteuthid squid Asperoteuthis (Cephalopoda: Oegopsida) and extension of the range of the genus to the South Atlantic. Journal of Molluscan Studies, 74: 203-207.

Braid, H.E. 2016. Resolving the taxonomic status of Asperoteuthis lui Salcedo-Vargas, 1999 (Cephalopoda, Chiroteuthidae) using integrative taxonomy. Mar. Biodiv. DOI 10.1007/s12526-016-0547-5

Nesis, K. N. 1974. Oceanic cephalopods of the southwestern Atlantic Ocean. Trudy Inst. Okean. Shirshova Akad. Nauk SSSR, 98: 51-75.

Nesis, K. N. 1982/87. Abridged key to the cephalopod mollusks of the world's ocean. 385,ii pp. Light and Food Industry Publishing House, Moscow. (In Russian.). Translated into English by B. S. Levitov, ed. by L. A. Burgess (1987), Cephalopods of the world. T. F. H. Publications, Neptune City, NJ, 351pp.

 

About This Page

Alexander Arkhipkin
Falkland Islands Government Fisheries Department

Vladimir Laptikhovsky
Falkland Islands Government Fisheries Department


University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA

Correspondence regarding this page should be directed to Alexander Arkhipkin at , Vladimir Laptikhovsky at , and Richard E. Young at

Page: Tree of Life Notes from type description of A. nesisi Authored by Alexander Arkhipkin, Vladimir Laptikhovsky, 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.

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