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Heteroteuthis sp. A: Description continued

Richard E. Young, Caroline Sanchez, and Valerie Allain
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. Heteroteuthis sp. A. Left - Ventrolateral view. Right - Ventral view with mantle cavity opened. Photographs by R. Young.

  1. Arms
    1. Suckers globular with small aperatures; suckers approximately equal in size between arms; suckers with circularis muscles.
    2. Deep web joins all arms to each other except arms IV.

  2. Tentacles
    1. Tentacular club short, coiled aborally. Suckers in numerous irregular series.Tip of club without suckers. Suckers increase in size distally; largest suckers about 0.04 mm in diameter. 
    2. Dorsal region of oral surface of club, immediately distal to tentacular organ, with series of folds.
    3. Tentacular organ present; barely overlaps base of sucker-bearing club.
    4. Tentacular stalk broader than club.
    5. 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. Tentacular club of Heteroteuthis sp. A. Left - Aboral view. Right - Oral view. The tentacle organ is visible in both views. 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. Tentacular club of Heteroteuthis sp. A. Left - Oral view. Note distal increase in sucker size. Right - Oral view of club tip. Note that the tip lacks suckers. Photographs by R.  Young.

  3. Head
    1. Eye with cornea; secondary eyelid at anteroventral half of eye.
    2. Olfactory organ not recognizable.

  4. Funnel
    1. Funnel valve could not be found.
    2. Dorsal funnel organ poorly defined but small anterior tip and slight medial ridge present. Ventral organs not detected except for a possible anterior lobe of right organ.

  5. Fins
    1. Fins short; fin length about half ventral mantle length.
    2. Fins attach on posterior half of mantle.
    3. Posterior margin of fins rounded.

  6. Pigmentation
    1. Funnel with distinctive pigment pattern: Bare region midventral at bend; pair of bare regions just posterior from  this; single line of chromatophores extends to each funnel locking-apparatus and beneath it. Dorsal surface of funnel unpigmented except at tip.
      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 funnel of Heteroteuthis sp. A showing chromatophore pattern. Photograph by R. Young.

    2. Fins with scattered chromatophores dorsally, none ventrally.
    3. Thick, silvery patch of iridophores on posteroventral surface of funnel, overlaps most posterior row of funnel chromatophores and lies over anterior region of ventral shield (see photograph above and labeled photograph under "Photophores").
    4. Clear patch of tissue ventral to eye and anterior to lateral funnel adductor apparently absent.
    5. Aboral surface of tentacular stalk and club covered with numerous, non-overlapping chromatophores. Oral surface of club with many, small chromatophores beneath suckers.
    6. Lining of mantle cavity (mantle and visceral cover) without chromatophores.
    7. 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. Anterodorsal view of the head and arms of Heteroteuthis sp. A showing chromatophore pattern. Photograph by R. Young.

  7. Photophores
    1. Pores to visceral photophore seem to be more lateral than typical in Heteroteuthis but ducts penetrate directly through "lens" into 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 internal surface of the funnel and the visceral photophore of Heteroteuthis sp. A. Left - Unstained. Right - Stained with methylene blue stain. Photographs by R. Young.

  8. Viscera
    1. Nidamental glands large (each 2.5 mm x 1.3 mm) but not as large as expected if animal mature.
    2. Oviducal opening with two long, slender flaps.

  9. Measurements: Sex - female, apparently immature. Ventral mantle lenght - 17 mm; shield length - 7 mm; dorsal mantle length - 12.3 mm; mantle width - about 11 mm; club length - 2.5 mm; largest club suckers - 0.04 mm in diameter; fin length - 8.9 mm; fin width - 5.7 mm; arm I length - 5.5 mm; arm II length - 5.4 mm; arm III length - 6.2 mm; arm IV length - 5.6 mm; largest arm suckers - 0.3 mm in diameter.
About This Page


University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA


Secretariat of the Pacific Community


Secretariat of the Pacific Community, Noumea, New Caledonia

Correspondence regarding this page should be directed to Caroline Sanchez at and Valerie Allain at

Page: Tree of Life Heteroteuthis sp. A: Description continued Authored by Richard E. Young, Caroline Sanchez, and Valerie Allain. 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.

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