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Containing group: Abralia

Introduction

A. fasciolata is a very distinctive species. It is easily recognized by its striped photophore arrangement on mantle. This species is similar to A. marisarabica in the mantle photophore arrangement, buccal rappet connectives and eye photophores, but is easily distinguishable by its larger mature size, and the larger number of integumental photophores on the mantle.

Characteristics

1. Tentacle clubs
   1. Two or three hooks on ventral side.
   2. Two rows of large suckers on dorsal side of manus.
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2. Hectocotylus
   1. Right ventral arm of male hectocotylized.
   2. Hectocotylus with two very differently-sized flaps.
   3. Large proximal flaps bilobed.
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3. Eye Photophores
   1. Five silvery organs with three to five minute additional organs in between.
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4. Integumental Photophores
   1. Ventral mantle with six broad longitudinally arranged stripes of integumental organs which become diffuse posteriorly.
   2. Ventral head with seven longitudinally arranged stripes of integumental organs; unpaired middle row is with few photophores.
5. Buccal connectives.
   1. Buccal-support connectives attached to the dorsal side of Arm III (DDDD-type).

Comment

This species is similar to A. marisarabica and A. dubia in its strange arrangement of buccal connectives and unusual eye photophores.

Nesis (1993) suggested this species is a synonym of the poorly known species, Abralia dubia (Adam, 1960).

Distribution

Geographical Distribution

This species is known only from the type locality, the Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea.

References

Nesis, K. N. 1993.

	
Tsuchiya, K. 1991.