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Onychoteuthis prolata Bolstad, Vecchione & Young in Bolstad, 2008

K.S.R. Bolstad
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Containing group: Onychoteuthis

Introduction

Onychoteuthis prolata was recently disambiguated from the O. banksii complex.  Young and Harman (1987) described the paralarva (species B) from Hawaiian waters; later ontogenetic stages were formally described by Bolstad, Vecchione & Young in Bolstad (2008).  The most distinctive feature of this species is the tentacle club, which is extremely long for an Onychoteuthis (35-40% ML).

Diagnosis

An Onychoteuthis species...

Characteristics

  1. Photophores
    1. Two circular intestinal photophores present. Anterior photophore 50-75% diameter of posterior photophore.
    2. Ocular photophore a long whitish patch on ventral surface of each eyeball.

  2. Measurements of holotype
    1. Mantle length - 135 mm
    2. Arm lengths - 53-71 mm
    3. Fin length - 81 mm
    4. Fin width - 89 mm
    5. Club length - 54 mm (left)
    6. Club hook numbers - 23
    7. Largest hooks - Hooks V5 and V6

  3. Tentacle club
    1. Length ~36% ML, with 20–23 long, robust, strongly recurved hooks.
    2. Distal-most ventral hook bases not produced into spike. 
    3. Chromatophores present across oral face of tentacle stalk proximal to carpus and along oro-ventral tentacle stalk ridge (arrows in second image below).
      Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window
      Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window

      Onychoteuthis prolata. ©

      Onychoteuthis prolata.  Arrows indicate chromatophores present across oral face of tentacle stalk proximal to carpus and along oro-ventral tentacle stalk ridge. ©

References

Bolstad, K.S. 2008. Two new species and a review of the squid genus Onychoteuthis Lichtenstein, 1818 (Oegopsida: Onychoteuthidae) from the Pacific Ocean. Bulletin of Marine Science, 83: 481–529.

Young, R.E.; Harman, R.F. 1987. Descriptions of the larvae of three species of the Onychoteuthis banksii complex from Hawaiian waters. Veliger 29(3):313–321.

Title Illustrations
Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window
Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window
Scientific Name Onychoteuthis sp. B
Location off Kona coast of Hawaii
Creator Keiko Hiratsuka Moore, National Marine Fisheries Service
Specimen Condition Preserved
Sex Female
Life Cycle Stage Subadult
View Dorsal and Ventral
Size 135 mm ML
Image Use creative commons This media file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License - Version 3.0.
Copyright ©
About This Page

K.S.R. Bolstad
Auckland University of Technology

Correspondence regarding this page should be directed to K.S.R. Bolstad at

Page: Tree of Life Onychoteuthis prolata Bolstad, Vecchione & Young in Bolstad, 2008. Authored by K.S.R. Bolstad. The TEXT of this page is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License - Version 3.0. Note that images and other media featured on this page are each governed by their own license, and they may or may not be available for reuse. Click on an image or a media link to access the media data window, which provides the relevant licensing information. For the general terms and conditions of ToL material reuse and redistribution, please see the Tree of Life Copyright Policies.

Citing this page:

Bolstad, K.S.R. 2015. Onychoteuthis prolata Bolstad, Vecchione & Young in Bolstad, 2008. Version 11 October 2015 (under construction). http://tolweb.org/Onychoteuthis_prolata/108201/2015.10.11 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/

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