Asperoteuthis sp. B

Introduction

Clarke (1980) described a squid as Mastigoteuthis? A. Nesis (1982/87) indicated that this was the same as his Chiroteuthis sp. n. mentioned in a 1974 paper. Clarke's specimen was incompletely described as he had only two specimens from the stomach of a sperm whale landed at the whaling station on South Georgia Island. The subequal arms, the large, round fin, the presence of "glandular discs" on the stubs of the tentacle stalks and the lack of arm IV photophores indicate that this is a new species of Asperoteuthis whose large fin distinguishes it from the other species of this genus.

Characteristics

1. Arms
   1. Arms II and III longest
   2. Sucker ring dentition unknown.
2. Tentacular clubs
   1. Unknown.
3. 

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   Funnel locking-apparatus from Clarke, 1980.

   Funnel
   1. funnel-locking apparatus with deep central groove and apparently a tragus and antitragus.
4. Fins
   1. Fin length ca 60-65% of ML; fin width ca. 50-55% of ML.
      
5. Measurements.
   1. Mantle length = 175-185 mm. Arms I ca. 80-85% of ML. Arms III ca. 110-120% of ML. Arms IV ca. 95-105% 0f ML. Head length ca 30-35% of ML

Comments

This species is known from two specimens (17.5 cm ML, mature male, 18.5 cm ML, sex ?) which had a reddish-brown color after preservation. They have a unique small muscular pad on each side of the posterior tip of the ventral mantle (see drawing). A funnel valve, ventral ocular photophores and pads (photophores) on the tentacle stalk are present as in all members of the genus. Clarke (1980) describes the beaks in detail. This species should remain unnamed until tentacle clubs and sucker dentition can be described.

Distribution

References

Clarke, M. R. 1980. Cephalopoda in the diet of sperm whales of the Southern Hemisphere and their bearing on sperm whale biology. Discovery Reports, 37: 1-324.

Nesis, K. N. 1974. Oceanic cephalopods of the southwestern Atlantic Ocean. Trudy Inst. Okean. Shirshova Akad. Nauk SSSR, 98: 51-75.

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.