Doratopsis paralarvae possess the following characteristics at some point, at least, in their development:
- Elongate, chambered neck.
- Chambered brachial pillar.
- Gladius extending posteriorly beyond fins and supporting floatation structures or "ornamentation."
- Vesicular tissue in posterior region of mantle just anterior to fins.
- Vesiculate arms in advanced stages.
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Figure. Oral view of portion of arm IV of Planctoteuthis exopthalmica, 9.5 mm ML, showing vesiculate tissue. Drawing from Chun (1910).
- Ventral arms greatly elongate in advanced stages.
- Tentacular clubs of advanced stages with keels parallel to dorsal protective membranes along most of club length. Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window
Figure. Oral view of a tentacle from an unidentified doratopsis, 28 mm ML. Note the paralarval club with both large suckers and a keel (but without division into manus and dactylus) and also the presumptive adult club of small suckers on the tentacular stalk. Drawing from Roper and Young, 1967.
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Figure. Oral view of the distal region of a clubs of C. calyx in transition from the paralarval stage showing adult club (right) with terminal paralarval club still intact, damaged mantle estimated at 70 mm ML. Club much more advanced than that in previous drawing. Photograph by R. Young.
Most of these features are seen in these drawings of the doratopsis stage (numbers correspond to character numbers above):
Figure. Top - Dorsal view of late doratopsis stage of Chiroteuthis veranyi, 35 mm ML. Drawing from Pfeffer, 1912. Bottom - Ventral view of a middle doratopsis stage of Chiroteuthis spoeli, 9.6 mm ML. Drawing from Young, 1991.
