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Mastigoteuthis dentata Hoyle, 1904

Richard E. Young
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Containing group: Mastigoteuthis

Introduction

Hoyle (1904) based his description of M. dentata on two specimens from the Eastern Tropical Pacific off Panama, neither had tentacles.  The type description with relevant notes can be seen here.

We describe here specimens taken from the central Equatorial Pacific and from the central North Temperate Pacific. At present we consider these all belong to M. dentata

Brief diagnosis:

A Mastigoteuthis with ...

Characteristics


  1. Tentacles
    1. Club suckers vary in size and packing density depending on position on club (a Mastigoteuthis characteristic).
    2. Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window
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      Figure. Oral view of different portions of the tentacular club of M. dentata, mature male, 135 mm ML, 6°N, 150°W. 1 - Proximal end of the club. 2 - Middle of the club. 3 - distal region of the club. Photograph by R. Young.

  2. Scanning electron micrographs of the arm and tentacle suckers can be seen here.

  3. Head
    1. Beaks. Description of the beaks can be found here.

  4. Funnel
    1. Funnel locking-apparatus without a distinct antitragus.
    2. Posterior margin of funnel component strongly undercut, matching hook-shaped mantle component.
      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. Funnel locking apparatus of M. dentata, 48 mm ML, central equatorial Pacific. Left - Anterofrontal view of funnel component. Left middle - Frontal view of funnel component. Right middle - Frontal view of mantle component. Right - Side view of mantle component. Blue tint from methylene blue stain. Photographs by R. Young.

      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. Funnel locking apparatus of M. dentata, 135 mm ML, central equatorial Pacific. Left - Anterofrontal view of funnel component. Right - Side view of mantle component. Blue tint from methylene blue stain. Photographs by R. Young.


  5. Mantle
    1. Tubercules absent.

  6. Fins
    1. Slightly wider than long.

  7. Photophores
    1. Integumental photophores in two series on arms IV.
    2. Eyelid photophore present and and small as in all members of Mastigoteuthis.
    3. 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 head and arms IV of M. dentata. Photograph by R. Young.

  8. Measurements
    Source Hoyle, 1904
    Mantle length 72
    Mantle width 17
    Head width 17?
    Fin length 48
    Fin width 52
    Arm I, length: Right / Left 37 / 38
    Arm II, length 44 / 47
    Arm III, length 45 / 42
    Arm IV, length 87 / 78
    *Measurements in mm.

Comments

We have examined few specimens from the Pacific Ocean. At present there are no reliable characters that separate M. dentata from M. agassizii. Genetic data is needed to determine if the Pacific form is distinct from that of the Atlantic.

Distribution

Type locality: Gulf of Panama, off Cape Mala, Panama at 7°21'N, 79°35'W. In the Central Pacific M. dentata is found in Equatorial and Temperate waters but not in between around the main Hawaiian Islands. It appears to be absent from the Eastern Pacific in waters occupied by Mastigotragus pyrodes. In the Western North Pacific it occurs as far north as the Kurile Islands (Nesis, 1982/87). In the South Pacific it is known from southern Australia, New Zealand and off central Chile and in the Indian Ocean it is known from Southern Africa (Nesis, 1982/87).

References

Hoyle, W.E. 1904. Reports on the Cephalopoda. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College, in Cambridge, 43(1):1-72.

Young, R. E. 1972. The systematics and areal distribution of pelagic cephalopods from the seas off Southern California. Smithson. Contr. Zool., 97: 1-159.

Title Illustrations
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Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window
Scientific Name Mastigoteuthis dentata
Location Equatorial Pacific, 06°N, 150°07'W
Specimen Condition Preserved
View Dorsolateral
Size 48 mm ML
Image Use creative commons This media file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License - Version 3.0.
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About This Page


University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA

Correspondence regarding this page should be directed to Richard E. Young at

Page: Tree of Life Mastigoteuthis dentata Hoyle, 1904. Authored by Richard E. Young. 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:

Young, Richard E. 2014. Mastigoteuthis dentata Hoyle, 1904. Version 06 December 2014. http://tolweb.org/Mastigoteuthis_dentata/19512/2014.12.06 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/

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