Grimpoteuthis abyssicola: Description Continued

1. Digestive system
   1. Radula absent.
   2. Salivary glands absent.
   3. Intestine and oesophagus about equal in length.
   4. Digestive gland unilobular.
   

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   Figure. Side view of digestive system of G. abyssicola. Drawing from O'Shea (1999).

2. Female reproductive system
   1. Proximal oviduct twice length of distal oviduct.
   

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   Figure. Female reproductive system of G. abyssicola. Note the eggs in the proximal oviduct. Drawing from O'Shea (1999).

3. Gills
   1. Half-orange shape.
   2. 8 primary lamellae (total).
   

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   Figure. Ventral view of the mantle cavity of G. abyssicola showing gills, female reproductive tract and anus. Note the female oviduct terminating in a large papilla. Just anterior to the papilla is the dark anus. Photograph from O'Shea (1999).

4. Optic lobe complex
1. Optic lobe spherical
2. Single optic nerve bundle penetrates white body.


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Figure. Optic lobe, nerve bundle and white body of G. abyssicola. Drawing from O'Shea (1999).

5. Eyes
   1. Large.
      
      
6. Beaks
   1. Upper beak with rostrum slightly deflected down; weak lateral-wall fold; rounded crest.
   2. Lower beak with deep hood (50% of beak length); lateral wings with two weak folds.
   

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   Figure. Side view of beaks of G. abyssicola. Left - Upper beak. Right - Lower beak. Drawing from O'Shea (1999).

7. Pigmentation
   1. Mantle and head tissues translucent.
   2. Arms and web tissues deep purple, not translucent.
   3. Sucker aperatures orange-brown.
      
      
8. Measurements
   1. Measurements and counts can be found here .

Comments

References

O'Shea, Steve. 1999. The Marine Fauna of New Zealand: Octopoda (Mollusca: Cephalopoda). NIWA Biodiversity Memoir 112: 280pp.