''Chtenopteryx sicula'', also known as the comb-finned squid or toothed-fin squid, is a species of squid native to at least the
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...
. It is characterised by several distinct morphological features: ocular
photophore
A photophore is a specialized anatomical structure found in a variety of organisms that emits light through the process of boluminescence. This light may be produced endogenously by the organism itself (symbiotic) or generated through a mut ...
s are present but visceral photophores are absent,
arm
In human anatomy, the arm refers to the upper limb in common usage, although academically the term specifically means the upper arm between the glenohumeral joint (shoulder joint) and the elbow joint. The distal part of the upper limb between ...
suckers are arranged in at least 4 series distally, and club suckers are borne in more than 8 series.
The
type specimen
In biology, a type is a particular wikt:en:specimen, specimen (or in some cases a group of specimens) of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally associated. In other words, a type is an example that serves to ancho ...
was collected off
Messina
Messina ( , ; ; ; ) is a harbour city and the capital city, capital of the Italian Metropolitan City of Messina. It is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, and the 13th largest city in Italy, with a population of 216,918 inhabitants ...
,
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
Nice
Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one millionCurrent Classification of Recent Cephalopoda
Gallery
File:Chtenopteryx sicula2.jpg, Ventral view of the viscera, showing the absence of a visceral photophore and the presence of the accessory
nidamental gland
Nidamental glands are internal organs found in some elasmobranchs and certain molluscs, including cephalopods (specifically Decapodiformes and nautiluses) and gastropod
Gastropods (), commonly known as slugs and snails, belong to a large Ta ...
.
File:Fresh Chtenopteryx sicula.jpg, Fresh-caught specimens of ''C. sicula'' from the North Atlantic
File:Chtenopteryx sicula paralarvae.jpg, ''Chtenopteryx sicula'' paralarvae. Left: Two very young paralarvae. The circular tentacular clubs bear approximately 20 irregularly arranged suckers. Two
chromatophores
Chromatophores are cells that produce color, of which many types are Biological pigment, pigment-containing cells, or groups of cells, found in a wide range of animals including amphibians, fish, reptiles, crustaceans and cephalopods. Mammals an ...
are present on each side of the mantle. Centre: Ventral, dorsal and side views of a more advanced paralarva. An equatorial circulet of seven large yellow-brown chromatophores is present on the mantle. Posteriorly the expanded vanes of the
gladius
''Gladius'' () is a Latin word properly referring to the type of sword that was used by Ancient Rome, ancient Roman foot soldiers starting from the 3rd century BC and until the 3rd century AD. Linguistically, within Latin, the word also came t ...
are visible in the dorsal view. Right: Ventral and dorsal views of a very advanced paralarva.
References
Further reading
*Naef, A. 1921–23. ''Cephalopoda. Fauna e Flora de Golfo di Napoli''. Monograph, no. 35.