Cephalopoda Glossary
The tentacles are permanently lost during the paralarval or early juvenile stages in some squids. After the tentacles have been lost (resorbed?) no trace remains. The picture below is of a squid that lacks tentacles. Note the position between arms III and IV where tentacles normally occur: no trace of tentacles remains. Many squids lose their tentacles during capture and a stump will remain. Many squids lose their tentacles at sexual maturity and a stump is usually present although sometimes only a scar is left.
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Figure. Oral view of the brachial crown of Taningia danae (Fam. Octopoteuthidae). Photograph by R. Young.
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University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA
National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D. C. , USA
Katharina M. Mangold (1922-2003)
Laboratoire Arago, Banyuls-Sur-Mer, France
Page copyright © 2001 , , and Katharina M. Mangold (1922-2003)
Page: Tree of Life
Tentacle Absence in Cephalopods
Authored by
Richard E. Young, Michael Vecchione, and Katharina M. Mangold (1922-2003).
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