Opisthoteuthis extensa
Richard E. Young and Michael VecchioneIntroduction
O. extensa is known from a single individual, apparently a female, taken in the Indian Ocean.
Characteristics
- Arms
- Arms I - 12.5 cm in length, arms II - 11.5 cm.
- Suckers small, size decreases proximally and distally from sucker 5, the largest sucker.
- Eyes
- Distance between eye openings (head width) - 4.5 cm.
- Distance between eye openings (head width) - 4.5 cm.
- Fins
- 1.5 cm long, 1 cm wide; separated from each other by 3.5 cm.
- 1.5 cm long, 1 cm wide; separated from each other by 3.5 cm.
- Gills
- "The gill consists of 6 adjacent swellings which consist of zigzag-shaped lamellae with short lateral branches."
- "The gill consists of 6 adjacent swellings which consist of zigzag-shaped lamellae with short lateral branches."
- Funnel
- "...funnel bears dorsally two V-shaped swillings which are situated closely together and apparently constitute the funnel organ."
- "...funnel bears dorsally two V-shaped swillings which are situated closely together and apparently constitute the funnel organ."
- Pigmentation
- Oral surface dark brown proximally, becoming lighter distally.
Comments
The above description is taken from Thiele (in Chun, 1915) which had very few details. A redescription of animals from the type locality is badly needed. At present the locality is the only feature that distinguishes this species.
Distribution
Type locality: 0°57.5'S, 99°51.1'E, Mentawei Basin, off Sumatra, eastern Indian Ocean, 768 m.
References
Chun, C. 1915. Die Cephalopoden. Myopsida, Octopoda. Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse der Deutschen Tiefsee-Expedition, "Valdivia" 1898-1899, 18 (2): 405-522 + Atlas.
About This Page
University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA
National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D. C. , USA
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- First online 13 May 2003
Citing this page:
Young, Richard E. and Michael Vecchione. 2003. Opisthoteuthis extensa http://tolweb.org/Opisthoteuthis_extensa/20158/2003.05.13 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/
. Version 13 May 2003 (under construction).