Stauroteuthis syrtensis Description Continued

1. Arms
   1. Subequal in length; 70-85% of total length.
   2. Web 2/3 of arm length, ending approximately at sucker 25.
   3. Each arm with 55-65 suckers.
   4. Cirri long, up to 50 mm; first rudimentary cirri present before sucker 3 or 4; cirri end at web margin at sucker 19-24.
      
      
2. Digestive tract
   1. Esophagus slightly expanded but not a distinct crop. Buccal mass with a single large posterior salivary gland on surface (see Aldred et al., 1983) according to Vecchione and Young, 1997, but two pairs of small salivary glands according to Collins and Henriques, 2000. (Insert in drawing to right shows a dorsal view of the buccal mass of S. syrtensis with two pairs of salivary glands, from Collins and Henriques, 2000. Compare this with the single pair shown on the overall lateral view of the digestive tract, from Vecchione and Young, 1997). Anal flaps, ink sac, radula absent. Posterior region of lips near beaks and more distal region within lips with large masses of secretory glands.
   2. Stomach and caecum small and similar in size.
   3. Digestive gland a single lobe connected to caecum by two ducts.
   4. Esophagus, stomach and caecum with dark red pigmentation.
   

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   Figure. Lateral view of the digestive tract of S. syrtensis. Drawing modified from Vecchione and Young, 1997. Insert - Dorsal view of buccal mass with paired salivary glands. Drawing from Collins and Henriques (2000).

3. Mantle cavity
   1. Mantle cavity lined by darkly pigmented epithelium.
      
      
4. Beaks
   1. The upper beak (drawing on the near right) has a gently curving rostral edge. The lower beak (drawing on the far right) has an elongate rostrum and a hood that is nearly flat in profile along the crest. Bar is 10 mm.
   

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   Figure. Side view of the beaks of S. syrtensis, upper jaw (left), lower jaw (right). Drawings from Collins and Henriques, 2000.

5. Reproductive tracts
   1. Male reproductive (illustration on near right) and female reproductive tract (illustrated on far right).
   

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   Figure. Reproductive tracts of S. syrtensis. Left - Male. Right - Female. Drawings modified from Collins and Henriques, 2000.

6. Shell
   1. The shell us U-shaped with large wings flattened dorsolaterally where fins attach. Bar is 20 mm.
   

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   Figure. Shell of S. syrtensis. Left - Side view. Right - Top view.  Drawings from Collins and Henriques, 2000.

7. Measurements and counts

   Specimen	S. syrtensis Holotype USNM 00382471	NMSZ 1994128. 45605	NMSZ 1994128. 45601	IOS "Discovery" 51014	"C.ebersbachii" Holotype ZUB36371	NMSZ 1994128. 45604	IOS "Discovery" 52104	IOS "Discovery" 50802
   Sex	Female	Female	Female	Female	Male	Male	Male	Male
   Location	48°54´N 58°44´W	55°37´N 10°25´W	56°39´N 10°35´W	49°26´N 13°29´W	42°59´N 51°51´W	56°58´N 09°46´W	56°20´N 09°32´W	49°39´N 12°37´W
   Depth, m	460	2385-2415	2255	1920-1935	1100	1800-1950	1340-1390	1857-1910
   Preser.	Alcohol	Alcohol	Alcohol	Formalin	Alcohol	Alcohol	Formalin	Formalin
   TL (fixed)	ca. 500	280	330	490	ca. 390	420	500	480
   ML	-	53	47	72	ca. 75	50	114	68
   MW	53	45	39	46	ca. 65	45	45	38
   Head W.	44	52	43	62	ca. 75	58	75	67
   Eye diam.	30	13	15	17	25	21	28	28
   Fin W.	44	35	28	60	55	43	60	64
   Funnel L.	12	-	-	37	-	26	-	27
   Gill lam.	8	8	8	8	8	8	-	8
   Arm L.	330-355 (210)	195-220	260-270	310-350	260-300	290-300	320-360	320-350
   Sucker count	55-58	58-65	56-65	-	-	46+	60-62	60-63
   Max. sucker diam. (sucker no.)	-	1.8 (1-2)	1.9 (1-2)	2.2 (-3)	5.5 (7-14)	4.9 (15)	6.2 (13-15)	5.0 (13-15)
   Max. cirrus L.	32	25	27	34	35	21	37	38
   Cirri start	5-6	2-3	2-3	2-3	-	3-4	3-4	3-4
   Cirri end	22-23	20-22	22-25	22-24	-	20-22	24-26	23-26
   Maturity	Mature	Mature	Mature	Mature	-	Mature	Mature	Mature

All table measurements are in mm. IOS - Institute of Oceanographic Sciences (now the Southampton Oceanography Centre). NMSZ - National Museum of Scotland. ZUB - University of Bergen, Museum of Zoology. Diam. - diameter; L - Length; lam - lamella; Max. - maximum; MW - mantle width; TL - total length; Wt. - weight. The table, slightly modified in form, is from: Collins and Henriques (2000).

References

Collins, M. A. and C. Henriques. 2000. A revision of the family Stauroteuthidae (Octopoda: Cirrata) with redescriptions of Stauroteuthis syrtensis and S. gilchristi. J. Mar. Biol. Ass. U.K., 80: 685-697.

Vecchione, M. and R. E. Young. 1997 Aspects of the functional morphology of cirrate octopods: locomotion and feeding. Vie Milieu 47(2):101-110.