Stauroteuthis is a genus of deepwater cirrate octopus, a cephalopod mollusk. This is the only genus in the family Stauroteuthidae, and only three species have been described in this genus.
Stauroteuthis | |
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Stauroteuthis syrtensis | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Mollusca |
Class: | Cephalopoda |
Order: | Octopoda |
Family: | Stauroteuthidae Grimpe, 1916 |
Genus: | Stauroteuthis Verrill, 1879 |
Species | |
| |
Synonyms | |
Chunioteuthis Grimpe, 1916 |
The organisms live below 700 m (2,300 ft) water depth; although sometimes found as deep as 4 km (2.5 mi) underwater, they generally live at a water depth of around 2 km (1.2 mi).[1] They do not possess a radula.[1]
The stauroteuthids have the distinction of being one of the few bioluminescent octopuses; some of the muscle cells that control the suckers in most species have been replaced with photophores which are believed to fool prey by directing them towards the mouth.[2]
Species
edit- Stauroteuthis gilchristi (Robson, 1924): Known from two localities in the south Atlantic, and other southern ocean locations (Macquarie Island, and Kerguelen).[1][3][4]
- Stauroteuthis syrtensis Verrill, 1879: Widespread in the North Atlantic.[5] The population size of S. syrtensis is unknown.[6]
- Stauroteuthis kengrahami Verhoeff, 2023: Known from a single specimen off eastern Australia.[4]
References
edit- ^ a b c Collins, M. A.; Henriques, C. (August 2000). "A revision of the family Stauroteuthidae (Octopoda: Cirrata) with redescriptions of Stauroteuthis syrtensis and S. gilchristi". Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the UK. 80 (4): 685. doi:10.1017/S0025315400002514. S2CID 85406750.
- ^ Johnsen, S.; E.J. Balser; E.C. Fisher; E.A. Widder (1999). "Bioluminescence in the deep-sea cirrate octopod Stauroteuthis syrtensis Verrill (Mollusca: Cephalopoda)" (PDF). The Biological Bulletin. 197 (1): 26–39. doi:10.2307/1542994. JSTOR 1542994. PMID 28296499. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-03-05.
- ^ Stauroteuthis gilchristi. Tree of Life web project.
- ^ a b Verhoeff, Tristan Joseph (2023-07-20). "A new species of Stauroteuthis (Octopoda: Cirrata) and further novel cirrate octopods from Australian waters". Molluscan Research: 1–20. doi:10.1080/13235818.2023.2232534. ISSN 1323-5818. S2CID 260017318.
- ^ Stauroteuthis syrtensis. Tree of Life web project.
- ^ Stauroteuthis syrtensis Verrill, 1879. Encyclopedia of Life.
External links
edit- Tree of Life website gives information about the classification of cephalopod groups
- Stauroteuthidae discussion forum at TONMO.com