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Comprehensive Description

provided by Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology
Histioteuthis celetaria (G. Voss, 1960)

This multiple-ocean, warm-water species is currently recognized as comprising two subspecies, H. c. celetaria, restricted to the Atlantic, and H. c. pacifica, restricted to the Pacific and Indian oceans. Our examination of previously unreported collections (23 specimens of H. c. celetaria found in the IBSS, IOAN, UMML, and USNM; and 87 specimens of H. c. pacifica found in the AtlantNIRO, CERAM, IOAN, SIO, TINRO, USNM, WAM, and YugNIRO), which include the mature stages of both subspecies, gave us the opportunity to reassess the described differences between these poorly known taxa and revealed an additional occurrence in the family of maturity-related, simple photophores. The descriptions below are based primarily on large juveniles, subadults, and adults, 35–258 mm ML. Because these growth stages of H. c. celetaria are only known from the southeastern Atlantic, knowledge of possible variations that might occur over the range of the subspecies is lacking. Our specimens of H. c. pacifica came from over a large part of its known range, with the northern Indian Ocean and eastern Pacific being the areas of poor representation. The characters given in the following species description are common to both subspecies.

DESCRIPTION.—Medium-sized to large histioteuthids; mantle stout, conical, becoming elongate with growth (especially in adult female), with moderately thick walls; fins large, length about 40%–60% ML, width about 60%–78% ML (except proportionally smaller in adult female); head large, length 40%–55% ML (except proportionally smaller in adult female), with 2 usually well-developed nuchal folds; arms of medium length, about 80%–130% ML; suckers largest on third of arms I–III (except in mature male); rings of suckers on arms I–III smooth except on distal ends where rings have few to numerous small, usually blunt teeth on distal and lateral margins; sucker rings on arms IV usually incised on entire or distal and lateral margins; in mature male (not always seen in small mature males), suckers on basal portions of all arms enlarged, with swollen, fleshy collars; ends of arms I modified with coequal-sized suckers on elongate pedestals; inner web between basal portions of arms I–III low to medium, 9%–15% length of longest arm; buccal membrane 7-membered, with second supports to dorsal sides of arms II, fourth supports without secondary connectives; tentacles long, about 150%–220% ML; tentacular club lacking longitudinal cleft on aboral surface; suckers on manus arranged in 6 to 7 rows, slightly or moderately enlarged in median rows; suckers of 2 or 3 ventral marginal rows, and sometimes few proximal suckers of median rows, usually with ventral side of denticulate collar slightly to markedly asymmetrically broadened; rings of manal suckers with numerous (∼28–55) sharp-pointed teeth around entire margins; teeth well developed on distal and lateral margins, low and poorly formed, or absent, on proximal margins.

Compound photophores uniformly large and evenly spaced on anterior – of mantle ventrum, decreasing in size and with interspersed small photophores on posterior end; head with area of reduced number of photophores (or none) often present posteroventral to each eye; circlet of 17 (rarely 16 or 18) large photophores around right eyelid; arms IV with 3 longitudinal rows of large photophores on basal ; distinct terminal group of 4–8 normal compound photophores present on ends of arms I–IV in juveniles and subadults and present only on ends of arms IV in mature stage of both sexes (see below); in mature animals, long, narrow, black, simple photophore present beneath median keel on distal portions of arms I–III (Figure 10b,c; not known in mature male of H. c. celetaria or mature female of H. c. pacifica).

Dorsal pad of funnel organ unsculptured; gills about 33%–43% ML, with 35–43 lamellae in outer demibranch; gladius with free rachis strongly developed, with thickened lateral edges; vanes triangular, with 2 sets of thickened, longitudinal bands; lower beak with rostrum rather narrow; rostral edge long, slightly curved; hood high standing above crest; wing fold low; lateral wall bisected by strong median ridge that extends to free corner.

Skin color dark, wine red.
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bibliographic citation
Voss, N. A. and Sweeney, M. J. 1998. "Systematics and Biogeography of cephalopods. Volume II." Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology. 277-599. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.00810282.586.277

Comprehensive Description

provided by Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology
Histioteuthis celetaria celetaria (G. Voss, 1960)

DESCRIPTION.—Female known to mature at about 258 mm ML (single known mature specimen, USNM 816916, from SE Atlantic); male known to mature at about 87 mm ML (single known mature specimen, USNM 730960, from SE Atlantic); arms about 80%–90% ML; tentacular club with suckers on manus closely arranged, those of median 2 to 3 rows only slightly enlarged (Figure 10a); asymmetrically broadened denticulate collar usually present on suckers of 3 ventral marginal rows, asymmetry appears to be most pronounced in juvenile; mature spermatophore not known; mature egg average diameter 1.9 mm; in mature female, long, narrow, black terminal photophore on arms I–III present on distal – of arms in specimen of 258 mm GL (Figure 10b, c), may be proportionally shorter in smaller specimens; in mature male, presence of terminal photophore not known (ends of arms in poor condition in single known specimen); gladius with anterior shoulders of vanes somewhat flaring and angular (Figure 10d).

ORIGINAL REFERENCE.—Voss, 1960:424, fig. 73.

TYPE LOCALITY.—Northwestern Atlantic; 32°10′N, 64°45′W, 730–820 m.

DEPOSITION OF TYPE.—Holotype: Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, FMNH 78308, female, 39 mm ML, R/V Caryn haul 37, 0405–0838 hours, 5 Aug 1948.

DISTRIBUTION.—In Voss's 1969 revision of the family, Histioteuthis celetaria celetaria was known from only two small juveniles, including the holotype. Reported captures since then (Nesis, 1974; Toll, 1982; Amelekhina and Zuev, 1988; Amelekhina et al., 1990; Voss et al., 1992) together with unreported ones by the R/V Akademik Kurchatov, R/V Professor Vodyanitsky, and R/V Walther Herwig, show H. c. celetaria to be widely distributed in the north subtropical and tropical regions of the Atlantic. It is present but poorly known in the South Atlantic subtropical region, and it appears to be absent from the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico (Figure 11). All but four of the 25 known specimens were taken in the eastern Atlantic between 33°N and 19°S. The occurrence of H. c. celetaria in southern subtropical waters is known only from two small juveniles taken separately in open ocean between 25°S and 26°S, 26°W and 27°W, well north of the SSTC. The remaining captures of the subspecies have been taken in more productive waters both in open ocean and near land masses and submarine ridges. The capture of five large juveniles and subadults and one adult in a single haul of a 1600-mesh Engel trawl from off the southwestern coast of Africa (19°S, 4°W; R/V Walther Herwig 447-III/71; misidentified as H. celetaria pacifica by Voss et al., 1992) and the capture of 11 small juveniles in one haul by the R/V Professor Vodyanitsky at 3°S, 9°W, in the Gulf of Guinea suggest that H. c. celetaria probably occurs in abundance in the more productive areas within its distributional range.

Open nets have taken small juveniles to 39 mm ML from the surface 40 m and at fishing depths to about 800 m. Large juveniles, subadults, and adults have all been taken in nets fishing at night between 750 m and 1010 m. The only known mature female, which had mated and was spent (indicated by the flaccid condition of the body and few eggs remaining in the oviducts), was taken while fishing between 990 m and 1010 m at 13°S, 9°W (R/V Walther Herwig 455-III/71), over the eastern edge of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The sole mature male was captured in open ocean at fishing depths between 750 m and 760 m at 19°S, 4°W. Both captures suggest that mating and spawning in H. c. celetaria occur in deep water.
license
cc-by-nc-sa-3.0
bibliographic citation
Voss, N. A. and Sweeney, M. J. 1998. "Systematics and Biogeography of cephalopods. Volume II." Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology. 277-599. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.00810282.586.277

Distribution

provided by World Register of Marine Species
circum-(sub)tropical

Reference

van der Land, J. (ed). (2008). UNESCO-IOC Register of Marine Organisms (URMO).

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cc-by-4.0
copyright
WoRMS Editorial Board
contributor
Jacob van der Land [email]

Habitat

provided by World Register of Marine Species
mesopelagic

Reference

van der Land, J. (ed). (2008). UNESCO-IOC Register of Marine Organisms (URMO).

license
cc-by-4.0
copyright
WoRMS Editorial Board
contributor
Jacob van der Land [email]