Mastigoteuthis pyrodes
Richard E. Young and Michael VecchioneIntroduction
M. pyrodes is a very distinctive species and the only species of Mastigoteuthis known off Southern California, U.S.A.
Brief diagnosis:
A mastigoteuthid ...
- with numerous small but easily seen integumental photophores and a much larger photophore on each eyelid.
- with broad funnel locking-apparatus without antitragus and with undercut posterior margin and antitragus.
- with large club suckers (ca. 0.3 mm diam.)
Characteristics
- Arms
- Arms III about 20% longer than arms I and nearly equal in length to arms II.
- Arms III about 20% longer than arms I and nearly equal in length to arms II.
- Tentacles
- Suckers approximately uniform in size on club except near tip.
- Largest suckers of tentacular club about 0.3 mm in longest diameter.
- Suckers approximately uniform in size on club except near tip.
- Head
- Beaks. Description of the beaks can found here.
- Funnel pocket present.
- Beaks. Description of the beaks can found here.
- Funnel
- Funnel locking-apparatus ear-shaped with strong tragus, antitragus virtually absent.
- Posterior border of funnel locking-apparatus not undercut (i. e., does not form a shelf) by oval depression of funnel groove; posterior tip of mantle component does not overlap posterior base (i. e., in profile, the mantle component does not have a hook-shape).
- Fins
- Fin length about 50-60% of ML.
- Fin length about 50-60% of ML.
- Tubercules
- Tubercules absent from the integument except in mature females.
- Tubercules absent from the integument except in mature females.
- Photophores and pigmentation
- Integumental photophores present.
- Ringed chromatophores and white spheres absent (present in members of the M. agassizii-group - see that page for direct comparison with M. pyrodes).
- Eyelid photophore moderately large (much larger than integumental photophores), oval, present on anteroventral margin of eyelid; may be covered by chromatophores.
- Ocular photophores absent.
- Most pigment in closely-spaced chromatophores.
![Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window](http://tolweb.org/tolarchive/19523/20071119/tree/img/magnify.gif)
![](http://tolweb.org/tolarchive/19523/20071119/tree/ToLimages/MPyrodesLockAll.jpg)
Figure. Funnel/mantle locking-apparatus of M. pyrodes. Left - Frontal view of funnel component, holotype. Drawing from Young (1972). Left-center - Frontal view of funnel component, 102 mm ML, immature female, 28°53'N, 118°12'W, preserved, NMNH 727463. Right-center - Frontal view of mantle component, same specimen. Right - Side view of mantle component, same specimen.
Figure. Lateral view of the eyelid photophore of M. pyrodes, paratype, NMNH, 73 mm ML, 29°19'N, 119°21'W. Note the relative size of the eyelid photophore compared to the integumental photophores. Photograph by R. Young.
Comments
Additional features of the description can be found here.
M. pyrodes has the following unusual features:
- Integumental photophores on the ventral side of the fins as well as dorsal side.
- Funnel component of the funnel/mantle locking-apparatus without an antitragus and without a posterior undercut shelf; mantle component without a hook-nose shape.
- Eyelid photophore much larger than integumental photophores.
- Photophores present on dorsal surfaces of head and mantle, as well as ventral surfaces.
Since the integument and tentacles are often lost during capture, the form of the funnel locking-apparatus is frequently the most useful character in identification.
M. pyrodes is easily separated from the Pacific integumental-photophore-bearing M. dentata by, in addition to the above features, the many (vs. two) series of photophores on arms IV, the large size of the club suckers, and the differences in the integument (abundant chromatophores, lack of ringed chromatophores and white spheres).
Life History
Paralarvae are unknown.
Two spent females (145 and 155 mm ML) are known from northern Hawaiian waters. They have a very dark reddish purple color and have rounded tubercules in the integument.
![Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window](http://tolweb.org/tolarchive/19523/20071119/tree/img/magnify.gif)
![](http://tolweb.org/tolarchive/19523/20071119/tree/ToLimages/MPyrodesAdult.jpg)
Figure. Dorsal view of M. pyrodes, spent female, 145 mm ML, northern Hawaiian waters. Photograph by R. Young.
Skin tubercules are known only in these spent females (mature males are unknown). The rounded tubercules are easily visible under a dissecting microscope. They occur on the mantle, funnel, head and aboral surfaces of the arms as well as the dorsal surface of fins but the latter tubercules appear smaller in size. Integumental photophores remain in the spent females although they are not seen in the photographs below.
![Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window](http://tolweb.org/tolarchive/19523/20071119/tree/img/magnify.gif)
![](http://tolweb.org/tolarchive/19523/20071119/tree/ToLimages/MastSpA2Tubercles.jpg)
![](http://tolweb.org/tolarchive/19523/20071119/tree/ToLimages/MastSpAtuber.jpg)
Figure. Mastigoteuthis pyrodes, 145 mm ML, spent female, northern Hawaiian waters, preserved. Left - External view of a piece of mantle skin, dissecting microscope. Right - Scanning electron micrograph of a similar piece of skin. Photographs by R. Young.
Distribution
Type locality: 33°32'N, 118°23'W, off the coast of Southern California, Eastern North Pacific. Distribution: Off Southern California; northern Hawaiian waters (ca somewhere between 23°N-28°N).
References
Young, R. E. 1972. The systematics and areal distribution of pelagic cephalopods from the seas off Southern California. Smithson. Contr. Zool., 97: 1-159.
Title Illustrations
![Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window](http://tolweb.org/tolarchive/19523/20071119/tree/img/magnify.gif)
Scientific Name | Mastigoteuthis pyrodes |
---|---|
Comments | Holotype |
Sex | Male |
Life Cycle Stage | Immature |
View | Ventral |
Size | 110 mm ML |
Copyright |
© 1972 Richard E. Young
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About This Page
Richard E. Young
University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA
National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D. C. , USA
Page copyright © 2004 Richard E. Young and
All Rights Reserved.
- First online 28 February 2004
- Content changed 19 November 2007
Citing this page:
Young, Richard E. and Vecchione, Michael. 2007. Mastigoteuthis pyrodes http://tolweb.org/Mastigoteuthis_pyrodes/19523/2007.11.19 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/
. Version 19 November 2007.