Abraliopsis tui Riddell 1985

Abraliopsis tui Riddell, 1985

ORIGINAL REFERENCE.—Abraliopsis tui Riddell, 1985:37, figs. 28, 29.

DEPOSITION OF TYPES.—Holotype: ?NMNZ, male, 28 mm ML, R/V James Cook sta 17–71, off Kermadec Islands, 28°18′S, 174°56′W, 14 Dec 1976, condition unknown.

Paratypes: ?NMNZ, male, 29 mm ML, same lot as holotype, condition unknown. ?NMNZ, 3 females, 19–30 mm ML, same lot as holotype, condition unknown.

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION.—South Pacific off New Zealand, 170°E, 20°S to 170°W, 40°S.

COMMENTS.—Riddell (1985) found this species both north and south of the subtropical convergence.

GENERAL REMARKS

The large number of species in the genera Enoploteuthis, Abralia, and Abraliopsis has resulted in the common use of subgenera to group together various related species. We suspect, however, that when a phylogenetic analysis is made of these groups, relationships will prove to be more complex than now suggested by subgeneric designation. As a result, we have chosen not to include subgenera in this paper. Discussions of the subgenera of various enoploteuthid genera can be found in Burgess (1982), Nesis and Nikitina (1987), and Tsuchiya and Okutani (1988).

Watasenia Ishikawa, 1914a

TYPE SPECIES.—Abraliopsis scintillans Berry, 1911, by indication.

COMMENTS.—Watasea Ishikawa, 1913, is a synonym (preoccupied).

DIAGNOSIS.—Manus of club with hooks in 1 series (2 to 3 in number), 1 series of suckers. Two to 4 large photophores covered by black chromatophores on tips of arms IV. Fins terminal. Buccal crown without typical chromatophores, with dark epithelial pigmentation on oral surface. Five photophores on eyeball. Hectocotylus on right arm IV with 1 dorsal and 1 ventral flap. Suckers absent from arms IV. Spermatophore receptacles located under collar. Complex photophores of integument, in life, apparently with red color filters. Radula with homodont teeth. Large arm hooks with apertures closed.

Abraliopsis tui is a species of enoploteuthid cephalopod found in the waters around New Zealand and the Kermadec Islands.