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Cranchiinae Pfeffer, 1912

taxon links [down<--]Cranchiidae [up-->]Liocranchia [up-->]Cranchia [up-->]Leachia Interpreting the tree
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Containing group: Cranchiidae

Introduction

This is a much less diverse subfamily than the Taoniinae.

Diagnosis

A cranchiid ...

Characteristics

  1. Arms
    1. Hectocotylus left or right arm IV.
    2. Arms III longest.
  2. Head
    1. Eyes stalked only in young Leachia, otherwise eyes sessile.
  3. Funnel
    1. Funnel fused to head laterally.
  4. Mantle
    1. One or two cartilagenous strips, usually with tubercles, extend posteriorly from each point of funnel-mantle fusion.
  5. Photophores
    1. Eyes with four or more small round photophores.
  6. Viscera
    1. Caecum larger than stomach.
Comparison of genera
  Cartilagenous tubercules Stalked eyes in paralarvae Funnel valve Suckers in medial two series on club manus
Cranchia cover mantle No Yes Not enlarged
Leachia on single cartilagenous strips Yes Yes Enlarged
Liocranchia on double, diverging cartilagenous strips No No Not enlarged

References

Voss, N. A. 1980. A generic revision of the Cranchiidae (Cephalopoda; Oegopsida). Bull. Mar. Sci. 30: 365-412.

Title Illustrations
Scientific Name Cranchia scabra
Comments photographed in a shipboard aquarium off Hawaii.
Size 30 mm ML
Copyright © 1998 R. E. Young
About This Page
Citing this page:

Tree of Life Web Project. 2004. Cranchiinae Pfeffer, 1912. Version 17 September 2004 (under construction). http://tolweb.org/Cranchiinae/19540/2004.09.17 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/

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This page is a Tree of Life Branch Page.

Each ToL branch page provides a synopsis of the characteristics of a group of organisms representing a branch of the Tree of Life. The major distinction between a branch and a leaf of the Tree of Life is that each branch can be further subdivided into descendent branches, that is, subgroups representing distinct genetic lineages.

For a more detailed explanation of the different ToL page types, have a look at the Structure of the Tree of Life page.

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Cranchiinae

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