Onychoteuthis meridiopacifica

O. meridiopacifica may be the smallest species in the genus. Males become mature at 40 mm ML (Rancurel and Okutani, 1990). The short, broad fins and the presence of a few marginal suckers on the tentacular clubs of adults are diagnostic of this species.

Diagnosis

An Onychoteuthis ...

  • with ca. 4-6 marginal suckers on tentacular clubs.
  • with short, broad fins (length ~35% ML, width 70-80% ML).
  • reaching a maximum recorded size of 90 mm ML.

Tentacular club

  1. Some proximal marginal suckers remain in adults (3-4 in dorsal series, 1-2 in ventral series).
  2. Length 20-25% of ML.
  3. 16-19 hooks (usually 17-18). Examples of club hooks are on the left.
  4. Carpal locking-apparatus with 6 suckers.
  5. Terminal pad with "few" suckers.
     

 

Figure. Oral views of tentacular clubs of O. meridiopacifica. Top - holotype. Drawing from Kubodera et al. (1998). Middle - Drawing from Rancurel 1970, with separate hooks from the ventral (top) and dorsal series. Bottom - Drawing from Rancurel and Okutani 1990.

 

Photophores

  1. Visceral photophores very small.
  2. Anterior intestinal photophore small, oval; posterior photophore 1.5 times "larger"; does not exceed width of intestine. Intestine not coiled around posterior photophore.

      1. Figure. Ventral view of the viscera of O. meridiopacifica showing intestinal photophores. AP - Anterior intestinal photophore. PP - Posterior intestinal photophore. Note the large penis in this mature male. Drawing from Rancurel and Okutani (1990).

    Comments

    This description is from Rancurel (1970) and Rancurel and Okutani (1990).

    Additional features of the description can be found here.

 

 

The type locality is 21°15'S, 155°11.5'E, Coral Sea, South Pacific. The known distribution is seen in the map below.

Figure. Distribution map of O. meridiopacifica, modified from Rancurel and Okutani, 1990. Triangles represent records from Rancurel 1970 and the dots represent squid examined by Rancurel and Okutani, 1990.

A few growth stages were illustrated by Rancurel (1970).

Figure. Growth stages of O. meridiopacifica. A - Dorsal view, 21 mm ML. B - Dorsal view of squid, ventral view of mantle and fins, 57 mm ML. C - Outline drawings of dorsal mantle and fins of squid of various sizes. Drawings from Rancurel (1970).

Kubodera, T., U. Piakowski, T. Okutani and M. R. Clarke. 1998 Taxonomy and zoogeography of the family Onychoteuthidae. Smiths. Contr. to Zoology, No. 585: 277-291.

 

Rancurel, P. 1970. Les contenus stomacuax d’Alepisaurus ferox dans le Sud-ouest Pacifique (cephalopodes). Cah. O.R.S.T.O.M., ser. Oceanogr., 8: 3-87.

 

Rancurel, P. and T. Okutani. 1990. A new species of squid genus Onychoteuthis from the Southwest Pacific. Venus, 49: 25-30.