Iridoteuthis
Iridoteuthis iris
Richard E. Young and Michael VecchioneIntroduction
I. iris is a small heteroteuthin (28 mm ML) with a broad dorsal head/mantle fusion and unusually large fins, eyes and ventral shield. It is known only from Hawaiian waters where it appears to be a member of the mesopelagic boundary fauna and occurs over bottom depths of about 350 - 450 m (Young, 1995).
Diagnosis
A heteroteuthin ...
- with mantle broadly fused to head dorsally.
- with enlarged suckers on arms I and III in males.
Characteristics
- Arms
- Arms I in males not strongly modified; some enlarged suckers on arms I and III or arms II and III.
- Enlarged dorsal keels at tips of arms I-III.
Figure. Oral view of the brachial crown of I. iris, male, 24 mm ML. Left - Full brachial crown. Right - Enlargement of the tips of right arms II-IV. Drawings from Harman and Seki (1990).
- Tips of arms III and IV in females with elongate trabeculae.
Figure. Oral view of the brachial crown of I. iris, female, 21 mm ML. Left - Full brachial crown. Right - Enlargement of the tips of right arms II-IV. Drawings from Harman and Seki (1990).
- Funnel
- Funnel locking-apparatus with deep, curved, anterior pit.
Figure. Funnel/mantle locking-apparatus of I. iris, Hancock Seamount, 29°46'30"N, 179°03'36"E, NMNH 817723, left = anterior. Top - Side-oblique view of the mantle component. Bottom - Frontal view of the funnel component. Photographs by M. Vecchione.
- Mantle
- Dorsal mantle broadly fused to head (fusion nearly reaches posterior midpoints of eyes).
- Ventral-mantle shield large (ca. 80% of ventral mantle length); extends nearly to anterior margin of eyes; with medial anterior indentation.
- Mantle with middorsal arch.
Figure. Left - Lateral view of I. iris, male, 24 mm ML. Drawing from Harman and Seki (1990). Right - Dorsolateral view of I. iris. Arrow indicates point of head-mantle fusion. Photograph by Thomas Burch.
- Fins
- Fins with pointed posterior lobes; extend to posterior margin of mantle.
Comments
These characteristics are from Harman and Seki (1990).
References
Harman, R. F. and M. P. Seki. 1990. Iridoteuthis iris (Cephalopoda: Sepiolidae): New records from the central North Pacific and first description of the adults. Pac. Sci. 44: 171-179.
Young, R. E. 1995. Aspects of the natural history of pelagic cephalopods of the Hawaiian mesopelagic-boundary region. Pacific Science 49: 143-155.
Title Illustrations
Scientific Name | Iridoteuthis iris |
---|---|
Location | off Hawaii |
View | Side |
Size | about 18 mm ML |
Copyright | © 1996 Thomas Burch |
Scientific Name | Iridoteuthis iris |
---|---|
Location | Hawaiian waters |
Reference | Harman, R. F. and M. P. Seki. 1990. Iridoteuthis iris (Cephalopoda Sepiolidae): New records from the cental North Pacific and first description of the adults. Pacific Science, 44:171-179. |
Sex | Male |
View | Dorsal and ventral |
Size | 24 mm ML |
Copyright | © 2004 Pacific Science |
About This Page
Richard E. Young
Dept of Oceanography
University of Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii 96822
USA
National Marine Fisheries Service
Systematics Laboratory
National Museum of Natural History
Washington, D. C. 20560
USA
Page copyright © 1996 Richard E. Young and
Citing this page:
Young, Richard E. and Vecchione, Michael. 1996. Iridoteuthis http://tolweb.org/Iridoteuthis_iris/20032/1996.01.01 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/
. Iridoteuthis iris . Version 01 January 1996 (under construction).