Mastigoteuthis flammea: Chun's type description

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Figure. Type illustrations of M. flammea. Modified from Chun (1910).

Introduction

The type description of M. flammea is based on two small squid (27 and 35 mm ML) from the eastern Equatorial Atlantic, both of which had lost their tentacles.

Characteristics

1. Arms
1. Arm suckers with 3-5 teeth on distal side.
2. Larger arm suckers 0.4 mm wide.
   
   
2. Tentacles
1. Lost during capture.
   
   
3. Head
1. Eyes small, 2.2 mm and 3.8 mm (8-11% of ML); much smaller than head length.
2. Nuchal cartilage illustrated by Chun, 1910.


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Figure. Dorsal view of nuchal cartilage of M. flammea, 35 mm ML. Drawing from Chun (1910).

4. Funnel locking-apparatus
   1. Funnel locking-apparatus with both tragus and antitragus. The drawing at the right shows the locking-apparatus of the two type specimens.
   

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   Figure. Funnel locking-apparatus of M. flammea. Left - 27 mm ML. Right - 35 mm ML. Drawings from Chun (1910).

5. Mantle
1. Tubercules absent on mantle and elsewhere.
   
   
6. Fins
1. Fin length about half the ML.
2. Fins slightly longer than wide when measured to the tip of the tail, rhomboidal to elliptical.
   
   
7. Photophores
1. Widely separated integumental photophores present on ventral side of mantle and head, dorsal side of fins and outer surface of arms IV (see title illustration). A cross-section of the integumental photophore is seen on the family page.
   
2. Eyelid photophore present (holotype).
   
   
8. Pigmentation
1. Live animal dark red from numerous chromatophores and integumental pigment (Chun, 1910).
2. Oral surface of arms with only sparse chromatophores; nearly colorless in live animal (Chun, 1910).
3. Coloration disappeared almost completely after preservation (Chun, 1910).
   
   
9. Measurements

   Source	Chun, 1910	Chun, 1910
   Sex	Female	Female
   Mantle length	27	35
   Fin length along base	13	21
   Fin width	18	?
   Head length	5	?
   Head width	5.5	8
   Eye diameter	2.2	3.8
   Arm I, length: Left / Right	7	14 / 10.5
   Arm II, length	12	15
   Arm III, length	10.5	11
   Arm IV, length	45	40

Comments

The above information is taken from the type description (Chun, 1910). M. flammea is the only member of the genus that was originally descriped from the tropical Atlantic. The syntype that we examined (35 mm ML specimen), had the gladius missing and nothing could be determined of the sucker dentition. A funnel pocket was present. Other than confirming the presence of photophores, little else could be determined from the specimen.

The presence of an antitragus in both type specimens as described by Chun is problematical. Perhaps the antitragus is lost with increasing size. For the present, we have placed this species in the synonomy of M. agassizii.

Distribution 

Type localities: Gulf of Guinea, near San Thomé Island at 0°25'N, 7°0'E (35 mm ML) and further west at 1°14'N, 2°10'W (27 mm ML).

References

Chun, C. 1910. Die Cephalopoden. Oegopsida. Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse der Deutschen Tiefsee Expedition auf dem Dampfer "Valdivia" 1898-1899, 18(1):1-401.