Cirroteuthidae
Michael Vecchione, Richard E. Young, and Katharina M. Mangold (1922-2003)This tree diagram shows the relationships between several groups of organisms.
The root of the current tree connects the organisms featured in this tree to their containing group and the rest of the Tree of Life. The basal branching point in the tree represents the ancestor of the other groups in the tree. This ancestor diversified over time into several descendent subgroups, which are represented as internal nodes and terminal taxa to the right.
You can click on the root to travel down the Tree of Life all the way to the root of all Life, and you can click on the names of descendent subgroups to travel up the Tree of Life all the way to individual species.
For more information on ToL tree formatting, please see Interpreting the Tree or Classification. To learn more about phylogenetic trees, please visit our Phylogenetic Biology pages.
close boxIntroduction
Species in the family are entirely pelagic and have a very fragile, gelatinous structure and eyes that vary from large to small to degenerate. They are usually found in association with the ocean floor (benthopelagic) at great depths. Some have, however, been caught far above the bottom and one specimen was dip-netted through an ice hole in the Arctic.
Diagnosis
A cirrate ...
- with long cirri and secondary webs.
- with saddle-shaped shell.
- with anterior mantle attached dorsally to head.
Characteristics
- Shape and consistency
- Anterior-posteriorly elongation pronounced.
- Anterior-posteriorly elongation pronounced.
- Web
- Primary and secondary webs present.
- Web nodules present or absent. image info
- Cirri
- Very long: Longest more than 8 times largest sucker diameter.
- Very long: Longest more than 8 times largest sucker diameter.
- Suckers
- Central portion of each arm with small, flattened suckers, nearly lacking acetabulum (i.e., aperatures may be virtually absent), on stalks that are either slender or swollen and fluid-filled.
- Central portion of each arm with small, flattened suckers, nearly lacking acetabulum (i.e., aperatures may be virtually absent), on stalks that are either slender or swollen and fluid-filled.
- Gills
- Sepioid
- Sepioid
- Digestive system
- Digestive tract arranged in simple U-shape; intestine short, without lateral bends
- Posterior salivary glands present on buccal mass.
- Radula present or absent.
- Digestive gland unilobular.
- Reproductive system.
- Male accessory gland complex compacted into a single mass.
- Male accessory gland complex compacted into a single mass.
- Optic lobe
- Spherical.
- Single optic nerve bundle penetrates white body.
- Shell
- Saddle-shaped: Broad saddle with two lobe-like, deeply escavated flared wings, pronounced shoulders.
References
Aldred, R. G., M. Nixon and J. Z. Young. 1983. Cirrothauma murrayi Chun, a finned octopod. Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. Lond. 301: 1-54.
Voss, G. L. and W. G. Pearcy. 1990. Deep-water octopods (Mollusca: Cephalopoda) of the Northeastern Pacific. Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., 47: 47-94.
About This Page
National Marine Fisheries Service
Systematics Laboratory
National Museum of Natural History
Washington, D. C. 20560
USA
Richard E. Young
Dept of Oceanography
University of Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii 96822
USA
Katharina M. Mangold (1922-2003)
Page copyright © 1996 , Richard E. Young, and Katharina M. Mangold (1922-2003)
Citing this page:
Vecchione, Michael, Young, Richard E., and Mangold (1922-2003), Katharina M. 1996. Cirroteuthidae http://tolweb.org/Cirroteuthidae/20091/1996.01.01 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/
. Version 01 January 1996 (under construction).