Taningia
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Taningia is a genus of squid, one of the two referred to as octopus squid (family Octopoteuthidae), the other being Octopoteuthis, its sister genus. Both Octopoteuthis and Taningia are characterized by their lack of tentacles for the majority of their life cycle, which led to their common name.
Classification
This genus is named after Danish fisheries biologist Åge Vedel Tåning (1890-1958).[1]
Taningia is separated from Octopoteuthis by adults possessing a large photophore on the tips of arm pair II (second pair from the dorsal), which are the only known photophores on the body along with the ink sac organ (Octopoteuthis has photophores on each arm-tip and spread around its body). The photophores, around the size of lemons,[2] possesses eyelid-like skin flaps which conceal the light organs when needed. The genus reaches Script error: No such module "convert". in mantle length (ML), though Script error: No such module "convert". has also been reported.[3] This genus possesses two rows of arm hooks on each arm pair, which develop after Script error: No such module "convert". ML; a single photophore may also develop on the ink sac at this size. The paralarvae have robust tentacular stalks; these disappear at Script error: No such module "convert". ML, leaving the squid with eight arms.[4][5]
Additional diagnostic characters include arms being 25-58% of ML, with arm pair II being the shortest, each arm having a single broad buccal connective (membrane connecting the arm to the mass of the mouth), and the mantle cartilage being broad, and blunt towards the head.[6]
Traditionally, this genus is considered to be monotypic, with only Taningia danae as a valid species. T. persica was named from a paralarval specimen in 1923, and it is currently considered a species inquirenda due to the uncertain identity of the holotype.[7][8] A 2019 thesis recovered more species in this genus,[6] but these have not yet been accepted by various online taxonomic databases.[9][10]
The species recovered by the 2019 study are as follows:[6]
- Taningia danae, Dana octopus squid: possible earliest specimen Cucioteuthis unguiculata from the South Pacific, holotype from Atlantic, semi-cosmopolitan
- Taningia fimbria: Southern Hemisphere, between 30° and 50°S
- Taningia rubea: Northwestern Pacific
- Taningia sp. IV: Temperate Northeastern Pacific
- Taningia sp. V: Atlantic including the Gulf of Mexico
- Taningia paralarva
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Holotype of Taningia persica, a paralarval specimen. The ink sac is visible through the transparent mantle
-
idem, limbs. The pair of tentacles possess large suckers on their tips
References
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