Abralia astrolineata
Kotaro TsuchiyaIntroduction
A. astrolineata is a large sized species for this genus attaining 100mm DML, and known only from a very limited area along the slope of the Kermadec Islands and coast of Queensland, eastern Australia (Nesis,1982/87).
Brief diagnosis:
An Abralia (Astrabralia) with ...
- distinct longitudinal stripes of photophores on mantle and head.
Characteristics
- Tentacle clubs
- About four hooks on ventral side.
- Two rows of large suckers on dorsal side of manus.
- Hectocotylus
- Right ventral arm of male hectocotylized.
- Hectocotylus with two subequal sized off-set flaps with flap of ventral margin more proximal than that of dorsal margin.
- Eye Photophores
- Five large silvery organs of subequal size.
- Five large silvery organs of subequal size.
- Integumental Photophores
- Ventral mantle with distinctly four, distinct longitudinal stripes of photophores with broad spaces between stripes.
- Ventral head with three distinct, longitudinal stripes of photophores.
- Terminal Arm Photophores
- Arm IV with four, large, ovoidal photophores at tip.
- Terminal suckers absent on oral side arms opposite photophores in both sexes.
- Caudal Photophores
- At mantle apex, a pair of ovoidal photophores buried in tissue.
Comments
The three photophores at the tips of arms IV, a feature which is shared with A. astrosticta, is similar to the arrangement in genus Abraliopsis except that they are smaller; in A. astrolineata, as in species of Abraliopsis but in contrast to A. astrosticta, these terminal organs are pigmented.
Distribution
Vertical distribution
A. astrolineata seems to be a component of mesopelagic boundary community in the subtropical South Pacific.
Geographical distribution
This species was first described from the Kermadec Islands. Nesis (1982/87) also recorded this species from off Queensland, eastern Australia.
References
Berry, S.S. 1914. Notes on a Collection of Cephalopods from the Kermadec Islands. Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute, 46(24):134-149.
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.
Riddell, D.J. 1985. The Enoploteuthidae (Cephalopoda: Oegopsida) of the New Zealand Region. Fisheries Research Bulletin (N.Z. Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries), 27:1-52.
Tsuchiya, K. 2000. Illustrated book of the Enoploteuthidae. In: Okutani T., ed. True face of Watasenia scintillans. Tokai University Press, Tokyo, p 196?269. (in Japanese)
Title Illustrations
![Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window](http://tolweb.org/tolarchive/19651/20090726/tree/img/magnify.gif)
Scientific Name | Abralia astrolineata |
---|---|
Location | Kermadec waters |
Reference | Riddell, D.J. 1985. The Enoploteuthidae (Cephalopoda: Oegopsida) of the New Zealand region. Fisheries Research Bulletin (N.Z. Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries), 27:1-52, 33 figures. |
Creator | D.J. Riddell |
Sex | Female |
View | Ventral |
Size | 52 mm ML |
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- Content changed 26 July 2009
Citing this page:
Tsuchiya, Kotaro. 2009. Abralia astrolineata http://tolweb.org/Abralia_astrolineata/19651/2009.07.26 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/
. Version 26 July 2009 (under construction).