Galiteuthis armata, Joubin, 1898

Bolstad, K. S. R., Perez, J. A. A., Strugnell, J. M. & Vidal, E. A. G., 2014, Cranchiids of the South Atlantic Mid-Oceanic Ridge: results from the first southern MAR-ECO expedition, Journal of Natural History 49 (21), pp. 1351-1371 : 1361

Galiteuthis armata

( Figure 5A) was represented by three specimens (ML 13.4, 16.0, 37.2 mm). The tentacle clubs were unexpanded. Those of the smallest specimen bore ~14 rows of suckers: four rows of two in the carpal region, then about 10 rows of four. In the median two series, the proximal-most sucker had not yet begun to transform into a hook, but the subsequent three suckers had; the remaining suckers were all of similar morphology: on the inner margin of the infundibular ring, four to six low teeth with concave oral faces were present distally, and a single low, wide process was present proximally (as in the larger specimens). In the ML 16.0-mm specimen, the club bore ~16 rows of suckers ( Figure 4C ): four rows of two in the carpal region, interspersed with low fleshy bumps, then about 12 rows of four. The proximal-most sucker in each median series had enlarged to about half again the diameter of the marginal sucker flanking it, and had begun transforming into a hook; the subsequent three suckers distally and four ventrally were all fully formed hooks. The remaining suckers in all distal rows and the marginal suckers flanking the hooks were all of similar morphology, with two to three rows of densely set, circular-toovoid-faced pegs proximally, and four to five rows of similar but smaller pegs distally, as well as approximately three cylindrical teeth around the distal margin of the infundibular ring. The proximal portion of the infundibular ring was produced into a single low, wide, irregular process or tooth across the sucker ring aperture. The club of the ML 37.2-mm specimen ( Figure 4D ), although similar in counts and distribution of manus suckers, and slightly larger in absolute size, actually appeared to be at an earlier stage of hook development than the ML 16-mm specimen: the largest hooks were less completely transformed, and the distal-most hook in the ventral row was little more than a large sucker with the hook cusp beginning to emerge from the distal portion of the infundibular ring. The distal suckers and marginal suckers flanking the hooks were similar in morphology to those of the ML 16-mm specimen, with three or four cylindrical teeth distally and the characteristic flat process proximally.

Figures

Figure 4. Tentacle clubs of cranchiin and taoniin species. (A) Leachia cf. atlantica, ME 38942, mantle length (ML) 28.8 mm. (B) Bathothauma cf. lyromma sucker, ME 38494, ML 10.0 mm. (C, D) Galiteuthis armata: (C) ME 38550, ML 16.0 mm; (D) ME 38534, Ml 37.1 mm. Scale bars = (A, C, D) 1 mm, (B) 20 µm.