Histioteuthis meleagroteuthis: Description continued

1. Arms
   1. Length100-150% of ML; subequal except for mature males.
   2. Arm suckers with 6-20 low, rounded or square teeth on distal and lateral margins (drawing at right). Basal suckers with fewer, broader teeth.
   

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   Figure. Oral view of sucker from mid-arm II of H. meleagroteuthis, 39 mm ML, 12° 59' N, 32° 49' W. Drawing from Voss, 1969 (Fig. 26g).

   3. Small tubercles, fused basally, on proximal half of arms I-III along aboral midline.
   

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   Figure. Dorsal view of head and arms, lateral view of mantle of H. meleagroteuthis, 26 mm ML, central North Atlantic. Photographed aboard the R/V G. O. SARS, Mar-Eco cruise, by R. Young.

2. Tentacles
   1. Suckers of manus in 6-7 irregular series.
   2. Median suckers of the manus only slightly enlarged.
   3. Enlarged suckers of club manus with 25-30 short, pointed teeth around entire margin but usually longer on distal margin.
   

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   xx
   

   

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   Figure. Oral view of club of H. meleagroteuthis.  Top - Neotype, 48 mm ML. Drawing from Voss, 1969 (Fig. 26b). Bottom - Squid from the cental North Atlantic. Photograph by R. Young.
   

3. Web and buccal crown
   1. Inner web between arms I-III 10-18% of longest arm; outer web absent.
   2. Buccal crown with 7 supports.
   

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   Figure. Oral view of buccal crown of H. meleagroteuthis, neotype, 48 mm ML. Drawing from Voss, 1969 (Fig. 26c).

4. Funnel
1. Funnel organ with dorsal pad unsculptured.


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Figure. Ventral view of dorsal pad of funnel organ of H. meleagroteuthis, neotype, 48 mm ML. Drawing from Voss, 1969 (Fig. 26e).

5. Mantle
1. Small tubercules form serrate ridge on middorsal line on anterior 1/2-2/3 of mantle beneath epithelium (see photograph under "Arms").
   
6. Photophores
   1. Compound photophores of uniform small size, densely set, on anterior 3/4 of ventral mantle.
   

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   Figure. Ventral views of mantle photophores of H. meleagroteuthis. Left - Neotype, 48 mm ML, drawing extracted from Fig. 26a of Voss, 1969. Right - 26 mm ML, photographed aboard the R/V G. O. Sars, Mar-Eco cruise, central North Atlantic by R. Young.

   2. Compound photophores number 19-22 on margin of right eyelid.
   

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   Figure. Lateral view of right eyelid of H. meleagroteuthis, neotype, 48 mm ML. Drawing from Voss, 1969 (Fig. 26h).

   3. Arms IV with 8-9 longitudinal series on arm base.
   

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   Figure. Ventral view of  arms IV of H. meleagroteuthis. Top - Neotype, 48 mm ML. Drawing from Voss, 1969 (Fig. 26f). Bottom - 26 mm ML. Photographed aboard the R/V G. O. Sars, Mar-Eco cruise, central North Atlantic by R. Young.

7. Fins
1. Length 39-50% of ML; width 58-68% of ML.
   
8. Spermatophores
1. Length 1.6-2.1% of ML; sperm mass 28-39% of spermatophore length (SpL); cement body 15-37% of SpL; ejaculatory apparatus 28-36% of SpL and with single loop. Connective complex well developed.
   
9. Hectocotylus
1. Arms I in mature males elongated and modified in distal portions with sucker pedestals enlarged, producing a palisading effect to margin of arms; suckers in two series to tip.

Comments

The above information, except photographs, is taken from Voss (1969) and Voss, et al. (1998).

References

Voss, N. A. 1969. A monograph of the Cephalopoda of the North Atlantic: The family Histioteuthidae. Bull. Mar. Sci., 19: 713-867.

Voss, N.A., K. N. Nesis, P. G. Rodhouse. 1998. The cephalopod family Histioteuthidae (Oegopsida): Systematics, biology, and biogeography. Smithson. Contr. Zool., 586(2): 293-372.