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Grimpoteuthis pacifica (Hoyle 1885)

Richard E. Young and Michael Vecchione
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Containing group: Grimpoteuthis

Introduction

Grimpoteuthis pacifica was described from a single, mutilated animal with only portions of the body remaining. As a result, only an incomplete description has been made and some species cannot be clearly separated from it. Descriptions of new specimens from the type locality are badly needed.

Characteristics

  1. Arms and web
    1. Arms each with 52 small suckers, largest opposite ventral attachment of web to arm.
    2. Proximal 6 suckers "stand together;" suckers further apart halfway along arms.
    3. Web attaches to arm dorsally nearly at tip; web attaches to arm ventrally at just over half the arm length.
    4. Single web nodules present. Shaped as nodule not elongate.
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      Figure. Ventral attachment of the web to an arm of G. pacifica showing a web nodule. Drawing from Hoyle, 1886.

    6. Suckers with faint radial markings.
    7. Cirri begin between suckers 6 and 8.
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      Figure. Oral view of arms and web of G. pacifica. Drawing from Hoyle, 1886.

  2. Eyes
    1. Large. Occupy all available space between fins and arms.

  3. Gills
    1. "Spheroidal nodule with meridional grooves." (Presumably this is a half-orange shape.)

  4. Beaks
    1. Illustrated but not described.
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      Figure. Lateral view of lower (left) and upper (right) beaks of G. pacifica. Drawing from Hoyle, 1886.

  5. Shell
    1. Wing bears long, grooved outer surface. Only the wing was exposed and described.

  6. Pigmentation
    1. "Deep purplish madder, paler outside the umbrella and on the fin."
  7. Measurements
    • Fin width - 15 mm.
    • Fin length - 55 mm.
    • Largest sucker diameter - 2.5 mm.
    • Longest cirrus length - 5 mm.
    • Arm I length: Right, Left - 170 mm, 145 mm.
    • Arm II length: Right, Left - 140 mm, 155 mm.
    • Arm III length: Right, Left - 130 mm, 140 mm.
    • Arm IV length: Right, Left - 150 mm, 135 mm.

Comments

The above description was taken from Hoyle (1886).

Among Pacific species, G. pacifica differs from:

Distribution

The type locality is off south-eastern Papua, New Guinea, South Pacific at 13°50'S, 151°49'E. The type specimen was captured in a tow that fished to 4500 m.

References

Hoyle, W. E. 1886. Report on the Cephalopoda Collected by H.M.S. Challenger during the Years 1873-76. Report of the Voyage of the Challenger, Zoology, 16 (44): 1-346, 33 pls.

Title Illustrations
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Scientific Name Grimpoteuthis pacifica
Reference Hoyle, W. E. 1886. Report on the Cephalopoda Collected by H.M.S. Challenger during the Years 1873-76. Report of the Voyage of the Challenger, Zoology, 16 (44): 1-346, 33 pls.
Body Part Funnel and fin
About This Page


University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA


National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D. C. , USA

Page: Tree of Life Grimpoteuthis pacifica (Hoyle 1885). Authored by Richard E. Young and Michael Vecchione. The TEXT of this page is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License - Version 3.0. Note that images and other media featured on this page are each governed by their own license, and they may or may not be available for reuse. Click on an image or a media link to access the media data window, which provides the relevant licensing information. For the general terms and conditions of ToL material reuse and redistribution, please see the Tree of Life Copyright Policies.

Citing this page:

Young, Richard E. and Michael Vecchione. 2003. Grimpoteuthis pacifica (Hoyle 1885). Version 13 May 2003 (under construction). http://tolweb.org/Grimpoteuthis_pacifica/20126/2003.05.13 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/

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