Abraliopsis morisii (Vérany, 1839)

Introduction

A. morisii is distributed widely in the tropical to warm temperate waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Females reach at least 39 mm ML.

Brief diagnosis:

An Abraliopsis (Abraliopsis) with ...

• clear strip of Median Mantle Sector indistinct in anterior 15-20% of the ventral mantle.
  
• dorsal flap on hectocotylus.
  
• 2nd Lateral Window Series present (at least by 25 mm ML). 
• many red photophores in Lateral Head Sector.
• 14-22 hooks on arms IV.
  

Characteristics

1. Tentacle clubs
   1. Bare strip ofMedian Mantle Sector indistinct in anterior 15-20% of the ML.
      
   2. Largest hooks of ventral series over 3 times length of counterparts of dorsal series and laterally compressed.
   3. Carpal flap and aboral keel well developed (="large").
      

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      Figure. Oral view of the tentacular club of A. morisii. Top - Drawing from Tsuchiya (2000). Bottom - Photograph by R. Young.

2. Arms
   1. Arms IV relatively long; Arm length index for arm IV - ca.70-90.
   2. Arms with 14 - 22 hooks and suckers.
      
      
3. Hectocotylus
   1. Hectocotylus with two different-sized flaps: long narrow proximal flap on the ventral margin and a short distal flap (about 1/3 lenght of ventral flap) on the dorsal margin.
   2. Modified portion with armature.
      
      

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      Figure. Oral-dorsal view of the hectocotylus of A. morisii, North Atlantic Ocean. Drawing from Tsuchiya (2000).

4. Photophores
   1. Ocular photophores: 5 ocular photophores with end members about 1.5X diameter of adjacent photophores.
      

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      Figure. Ventral view of the head, funnel and anterior mantle of A. morisii showing the large white ocular photophores and the scattered arrangement of small integumental photophores. Photograph by R. Young.

   2. Integumental photophores: Head and mantle with scattered pattern.
      
      

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      Figure. Ventral views of the integumental photophores of A. morisii, female, 35 mm ML, subtropical South Atlantic. Left - Photograph of the preserved squid. Right - Outline drawing from photograph with all integumental photophores represented by colored dots.  Red dots - Complex photophores. Blue dots - Non-complex photophores. Images by R. Young.

      More details of the integumental photophores can be found here.

5. Measurements and counts: Not available.

Comments

See Abraliopsis (Abraliopsis) page for comparison with other species of the subgenus.

Nomenclature

This species was formerly called A. pfefferi Joubin, 1896. Bello (2005) after re-examining the original description of A. morisii, determined that discarding this name, which has precedence, due to problems with the original description, was a mistake and that the original discription was sufficient to identify the species. Unfortunately the type specimen appears to be lost. A. pfefferi, therefore, is a junior synonym of A. morisii.

Life history

Age and maturation

Based on statolith analyses, males mostly matured at 120-130 days and females at 150-160 days; minimum age at maturity is 105 days in males, 127 days in females (Arkhipkin, 1996).

Distribution

Geographical Distribution

Type locality: North Atlantic Ocean at 39°N, 20°W. This species is distributed in the tropical to warm temperate Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, and Mediterranean Sea (Nesis, 1982/87).

References

Bello, G. 2005. Abraliopsis morisii vs. Abraliopsis pfefferi (Cephalopoda: Enoploteuthidae): which is the right name? Journal of Conchology, 38 (5):561-565.

Arkhipkin, A.I. 1996. Age and growth of the squid Abraliopsis pfefferi (Oegopsida: Enoploteuthidae) from the central-east Atlantic based on the statolith microstructure. Scientia Marina 60:325-330.

Nesis, K. N. 1982. 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.