Note

Cephalopod Dorsal Head-Mantle Fusion

Richard E. Young, Michael Vecchione, and Katharina M. Mangold (1922-2003)

Cephalopoda Glossary


In decapodiforms the dorsal margin of the mantle may be free (i.e., no head fusion) or it may join with the head by the narrow fusion of the nuchal locking-apparatus, or it may fuse broadly (Fig. on right) with the head, which is somewhat similar to the situation in octopods.

Figure. A - Dorsal view of Iridoteuthis iris (Fam. Sepiolidae), modified from Naef, 1921-23. B - Dorsal view of Euprymna stenodactyla (Fam. Sepiolidae), modified from Voss, 1963.

The photographs illustrate all three cases: A free dorsal mantle margin (Fig. A); the dorsal mantle fused at the nuchal locking-apparatus (Fig. B at arrow) and the dorsal mantle margin broadly fused to the head (Fig. C between arrows).

Figure. A - Heteroteuthis hawaiiensis (Fam. Sepiolidae). B - Megalocranchia fisheri (Fam. Cranchiidae). C - Euprymna scolopes (Fam. Sepiolidae). Photographs © R. Young.

References

Naef, A. 1921-23. Cephalopoda. Fauna und Flora des Golfes von Neapel. Monograph, no. 35. English translation: A. Mercado (1972). Israel Program for Scientific Translations Ltd., Jerusalem, Israel. 863pp., IPST Cat. No. 5110/1,2.

Voss, G. L. 1963. Cephalopods of the Philippine Islands. Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., 234: 1-180.

About This Page


University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA


National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D. C. , USA

Katharina M. Mangold (1922-2003)
Laboratoire Arago, Banyuls-Sur-Mer, France

Page: Tree of Life Cephalopod Dorsal Head-Mantle Fusion Authored by Richard E. Young, Michael Vecchione, and Katharina M. Mangold (1922-2003). 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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