Abralia steindachneri
Kotaro TsuchiyaIntroduction
A. steindachneri is a relatively large species for the genus, and attains 50mm DML. It is easily recognized by the presence of a distinct arrangement of longitudinal photophore stripes on the ventral mantle, large numbers of club hooks, and a distinct eye photophore pattern. This species is broadly distributed in the Indo-West Pacific Ocean where it is associated with shelf waters.
Characteristics
Figure. A. steindachneri. Left - Oral view of the tentacle Club. Right: Eye Photophores. Specimen from northern coast of West Australia. Drawings from Tsuchiya, 2000.
- Tentacle clubs
- 5(?)-7 hooks on ventral side.
- Two rows of large suckers on dorsal side of manus.
- ??With large keel; without carpal flap
- Hectocotylus
- Right ventral arm of male hectocotylized.
- Hectocotylus with two different sized off-set flaps.
- Proximal part of the modified portion with armature.
- Eye Photophores
- Five major complex organs: two large, terminal, opaque organs and three intermediate, silvery organs; some additional small organs present.
- Integumental Photophores
- Ventral mantle with four longitudinal stripes of integumental organs separated by photophore-less, broad stripes.
- Ventral head with indistinct but lineally arranged organs.
Nomenclature
Nesis and Nikitina (1987) downgraded the Pacific A. renschi to a subspecies of A. steindachneri.
Distribution
Geographical distribution
Type locality of this species is the Red Sea. It is associated with shelf waters of the West Indian coast, Andaman Sea, Torres Strait, northern coast of western Australia, Ryukyu Islands, and the submarine banks off East Africa.
References
Grimpe, G. 1931. Teuthologische Mitteilungen. XIII. Uber die Cephalopoden der Sunda-Expedition Rensch. Zoologischer Anzeiger, 95(5/8):149-174, 14 figures.
Nesis, K.N. and I.V. Nikitina. 1987. Redescription of Abralia steindachneri and revision of subgenus systematics of the genus Abralia (Cephalopoda, Enoploteuthidae). Zoologichesky Zhurnal, 66(11):1693-1705, 9 figures. [In Russian]
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)
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- Content changed 26 July 2009
Citing this page:
Tsuchiya, Kotaro. 2009. Abralia steindachneri http://tolweb.org/Abralia_steindachneri/19648/2009.07.26 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/
. Version 26 July 2009 (under construction).