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Onychoteuthis meridiopacifica Rancurel & Okutani, 1990

Michael Vecchione, Richard E. Young, Kotaro Tsuchiya, and K.S.R. Bolstad
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Containing group: Onychoteuthis

Introduction

O. meridiopacifica may be the smallest species in the genus. Males become mature at 40 mm ML (Rancurel and Okutani, 1990). The short, broad fins and the presence of a few marginal suckers on the tentacular clubs of adults are diagnostic of this species.

Diagnosis

An Onychoteuthis ...

Characteristics

  1. Tentacular club
    1. Some proximal marginal suckers remain in adults (3-4 in dorsal series, 1-2 in ventral series).
    2. Length 20-25% of ML.
    3. 16-19 hooks (usually 17-18). Examples of club hooks are on the left.
    4. Carpal locking-apparatus with 6 suckers.
    5. Terminal pad with "few" suckers.
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      Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window


      Figure. Oral views of tentacular clubs of O. meridiopacifica. Top - holotype. Drawing from Kubodera et al. (1998). Middle - Drawing from Rancurel 1970, with separate hooks from the ventral (top) and dorsal series. Bottom - Drawing from Rancurel and Okutani 1990.

  2. Photophores
    1. Visceral photophores very small.
    2. Anterior intestinal photophore small, oval; posterior photophore 1.5 times "larger"; does not exceed width of intestine. Intestine not coiled around posterior photophore.
      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

      Figure. Ventral view of the viscera of O. meridiopacifica showing intestinal photophores. AP - Anterior intestinal photophore. PP - Posterior intestinal photophore. Note the large penis in this mature male. Drawing from Rancurel and Okutani (1990).

Comments

This description is from Rancurel (1970) and Rancurel and Okutani (1990).

Additional features of the description can be found here.

Life History

A few growth stages were illustrated by Rancurel (1970).
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Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window

Figure. Growth stages of O. meridiopacifica. A - Dorsal view, 21 mm ML. B - Dorsal view of squid, ventral view of mantle and fins, 57 mm ML. C - Outline drawings of dorsal mantle and fins of squid of various sizes. Drawings from Rancurel (1970).

Distribution

The type locality is 21°15'S, 155°11.5'E, Coral Sea, South Pacific. The known distribution is seen in the map below.

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Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window

Figure. Distribution map of O. meridiopacifica, modified from Rancurel and Okutani, 1990. Triangles represent records from Rancurel 1970 and the dots represent squid examined by Rancurel and Okutani, 1990.

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References

Kubodera, T., U. Piakowski, T. Okutani and M. R. Clarke. 1998 Taxonomy and zoogeography of the family Onychoteuthidae. Smiths. Contr. to Zoology, No. 585: 277-291.

Rancurel, P. 1970. Les contenus stomacuax d’Alepisaurus ferox dans le Sud-ouest Pacifique (cephalopodes). Cah. O.R.S.T.O.M., ser. Oceanogr., 8: 3-87.

Rancurel, P. and T. Okutani. 1990. A new species of squid genus Onychoteuthis from the Southwest Pacific. Venus, 49: 25-30.

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 meridiopacifica
Location Australia
Specimen Condition Preserved
Sex Male
Life Cycle Stage Mature
View Dorsolateral
Size 59mm ML
Copyright © 2007 K.S.R. Bolstad
Scientific Name Onychoteuthis meridiopacifica
Location 21°15'S, 155°12'E
Reference Kubodera, T., U. Piakowski, T. Okutani and M. R. Clarke. 1998 Taxonomy and zoogeography of the family Onychoteuthidae. Smiths. Contr. to Zoology, No. 585: 277-291.
Specimen Condition Dead Specimen
View Ventral
Size 61.7 mm ML
Scientific Name Onychoteuthis meridiopacifica
Reference Rancurel, P. and T. Okutani. 1990. A new species of squid genus Onychoteuthis from the Southwest Pacific. Venus, 49: 25-30.
Specimen Condition Dead Specimen
Sex Male
View Dorsal
Size 62.5 mm ML
Type Holotype
Copyright © Venus
About This Page


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


University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA


Tokyo University of Fisheries, Tokyo, Japan

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 meridiopacifica Rancurel & Okutani, 1990. Authored by Michael Vecchione, Richard E. Young, Kotaro Tsuchiya, and K.S.R. Bolstad. The TEXT of this page is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 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:

Vecchione, Michael, Richard E. Young, Kotaro Tsuchiya, and K.S.R. Bolstad. 2008. Onychoteuthis meridiopacifica Rancurel & Okutani, 1990. Version 30 May 2008 (under construction). http://tolweb.org/Onychoteuthis_meridiopacifica/19965/2008.05.30 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/

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