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Family ANCISTROCHEIRIDAE Pfeffer, 1912

Sharpear Enope Squid


Compiler and date details

2012 - Updated by Julian Finn, Museum Victoria, Carlton, Victoria, Australia

C.C. Lu, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan

Introduction

The monotypic family Ancistrocheiridae Gray, 1849 was regarded as a subfamily in the Enoploteuthidae until elevated to familial rank by Clarke in 1988. Members are moderate sized to over 40 cm mantle length (ML) and are found in the tropical and subtropical waters of the the world's oceans.

Clarke (1980) and Clarke & MacLeod (1982) recognised ancistrocheirin squid in the diets of sperm whales from south-western Australia and the Tasman Sea, respectively. At least eight species were recorded by Brandt (1983) from an East Australian Current warm-core eddy. Lu & Phillips (1985) recorded species from the Tasman Sea and the North West Shelf of Western Australia.

The ancistrocheirid life history is incompletely known. In slope waters off New South Wales in the summer months, mature female Ancistrocheirus lesueurii have been recovered from the stomachs of sharks (Dunning et al. 1993)); presumably the egg masses are spawned on the slope. Ripe eggs in mature Ancistrocheirus are large, reaching 3 mm in long axis (Dunning, unpublished data). Paralarvae are unknown.

 

Diagnosis

Ancistrocheirids are characterised by a simple, straight funnel locking apparatus, biserial hooks present on all arms, and tentacular club with biserial hooks but without suckers. Buccal connectives attach to the dorsal border of the ventral arms and regularly spaced large, bead-like photophores are present in adults on the ventral and lateral surfaces of the mantle, head, arms and tentacles but not on the eyeballs and viscera. The large fins are subterminal, with slightly convex posterior margins extending almost the entire length of the mantle and without posterior lobes. Nidamental glands are present in females. Hectocotylisation is shown as enlarged protective membranes distally on the edges of the hook-bearing surface of the ventral arms of mature males.

 

History of changes

Note that this list may be incomplete for dates prior to September 2013.
Published As part of group Action Date Action Type Compiler(s)
05-Jun-2024 CEPHALOPODA Cuvier, 1795 26-May-2023 MODIFIED Dr Mandy Reid
20-Mar-2014 TEUTHIDA 20-Mar-2014 MODIFIED Dr Julian Finn (NMV)
12-Feb-2010 (import)