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Opisthoteuthis hardyi Villanueva, Collins, Sanchez and Voss 2002

Roger Villanueva, Michael Vecchione, and Richard E. Young
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Containing group: Opisthoteuthis

Introduction

Opisthoteuthis hardyi is known only from the holotype, a mature male of 45 mm ML.

Characteristics

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Figure. Oral view of O. hardyi, holotype. Drawing from Villanueva et al., 2002.

  1. Arms
    1. Arms subequal, 440-480% of ML.
    2. Arms I with slight increase in thickness.
    3. Web nodules or web supports absent.
    4. web more extensive on dorsal arms; Web formula - A=B>C=D>E.
    5. Arm sucker count 60-67.
    6. Males with two fields of enlarged suckers present on all arms; largest sucker diameter of distal field approximately equal to that of proximal field.
    7. Proximal field with suckers 4-9 typically enlarged; suckers 6 or 7 usually largest; all arms with equal enlargement.
    8. Distal field with usually 9-14 suckers enlarged beginning with sucker numbers 18-19; suckers 22-24 usually largest; all arms with equal enlargement.
    9. Cirri short; longest 1.7-4.1 mm or 4-9% of ML.
    10. First cirri appear between suckers 2 and 4.

Comments

More details of the description of Opisthoteuthis hardyi can be found here.

Opisthoteuthis hardyi shares (where males are known) enlarged suckers in both proximal and distal fields that are the same on all arms with O. agassizii, O. bruuni, O. chathamensis and O. grimaldii. It differs from O. agassizii and O. grimaldii in lacking web supports, it differs from O. bruuni in having more enlarged suckers in the distal field (9-14 vs 2-3) and it differs from O. chatamensis in having a unilobular digestive gland and more suckers on each arm (60-67 vs 41-45).

Distribution

Type locality: Near South Georgia Island at 53°18'S, 42°12'W, taken in a pelagic trawl that fished near the ocean floor at 800-1000 m (Villanueva et al., 2003). This species is known only from the type locality.

References

Villanueva, R., Collins, M., Sanchez, P. and N. Voss. 2002. Systematics, distribution and biology of the cirrate octopods of the genus Opisthoteuthis (Mollusca, Cephalopoda) in the Atlantic Ocean, with description of two new species. Bulletin of Marine Science 71(2):933-985.

Title Illustrations
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Scientific Name Opisthoteuthis hardyi
Comments Fins were strongly contracted on preservation, dotted lines show expected profile.
Reference Villanueva, R., Collins, M., Sanchez, P. and N. Voss. 2002. Systematics, distribution and biology of the cirrate octopods of the genus Opisthoteuthis (Mollusca, Cephalopoda) in the Atlantic Ocean, with description of two new species. Bulletin of Marine Science 71(2):933-985.
Acknowledgements Printed with permission from the Bulletin of Marine Science.
Sex Male
Life Cycle Stage Mature
View Ventral and dorsal
Size 45 mm ML
Type Holotype
Copyright © 2002 Bulletin of Marine Science
About This Page


Instituto de Ciencias del Mar (CSIC), Barcelona, Spain


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


University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA

All Rights Reserved.

Citing this page:

Villanueva, Roger, Michael Vecchione, and Richard E. Young. 2003. Opisthoteuthis hardyi Villanueva, Collins, Sanchez and Voss 2002. Version 13 May 2003 (under construction). http://tolweb.org/Opisthoteuthis_hardyi/20160/2003.05.13 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/

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