Asperoteuthis acanthoderma (Lu, 1977)

Introduction

A. acanthoderma reaches a rather large size. The largest specimen known has a mantle length of 78 cm and long, slender tentacles. In one squid (45 cm ML) the tentacles were over 12 times longer than the mantle (i.e., about 5.5 m)(Tsuchiya and Okutani, 1993). The most distinctive feature of this species is the presence of very small, pointed cartilagenous tubercules over the surface of the head, mantle and arms.

Diagnosis

An Asperoteuthis ...

• with tiny, pointed tubercules in skin.
• with a  Y-shaped groove in the funnel locking-apparatus.
  

Characteristics

1. Photophores
   1. Club-tip photophore large and with short, broad papilla.
   2. Twelve pairs of small, embedded photophores on aboral surface of club in two series and of two sizes.
2. Arms
   1. Large arm suckers with 3-4 broadly rounded teeth on distal half of inner ring.
3. Tentacular clubs
   1. Suckers with nine blunt teeth in contact at base over distal half of inner ring.
4. Integument
   1. Covered (except for tentacles) with tiny, conical, cartilagenous tubercules.
5. Funnel
   1. Funnel-locking apparatus with long, slender tragus and narrow antitragus that form an inverted Y-shaped groove.
      image info
6. Fins
   1. Fin length 50-55% of ML.
   2. Fin width 11-13% of ML
   3. Secondary "fin" comparable in length to primary (= true) fin but more slender.

Comments

Life History

The large 78 cm ML specimen described by Tsuchia and Okutani (1993) was an immature female. Mature stages and doratopsis stages are unknown (however, see comments under Asperoteuthis: Life History).

Distribution

The type locality is the Celebes Sea. This species is also known from waters off Okinawa (Tsuchiya and Okutani, 1993) and Hawaii.

References

Lu, C. C. 1977. A new species of squid Chiroteuthis acanthoderma, from the Southwest Pacific (Cephalopoda, Chiroteuthidae). Steenstrupia, 4: 179-188.

Nesis, K. N. 1980. Taxonomic position of Chiroteuthis famelica Berry. Bull. Moscow Obslich. Ispyt. Prirody, Section Biology, 85: 59-66. [In Russian].

Tsuchiya, K. and T. Okutani (1993). Rare and interesting squids in Japan -X. Recent occurrences of big squids from Okinawa. Venus, 52: 299-311.

Young, R. E. (1991). Chiroteuthid and related paralarvae from Hawaiian waters. Bull. Mar. Sci., 49: 162-185.