Enoploteuthis reticulata Rancurel 1970

Introduction

Enoploteuthis reticulata, a large species for the family, attains 130mm DML. It was first described from the stomach of a lancetfish in the Indonesian waters, and is broadly distributed in the Indo-West Pacific.

Brief diagnosis:

An Enoploteuthis (Enoploteuthis) with...

• longitudinal and oblique rows of photophores on ventral mantle giving reticulate pattern.
  

Characteristics

1. Hectocotylus
   1. Hectocotylus with large truncate membranous flap on ventral edge.
   2. Modified portion with armature.
      
      

      Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window

      
      

      Figure. Oral view of the tip of the hectocotylized right arm IV of E. reticulata, male, 71 mm ML, Hawaiian waters. Drawing from Burgess (1982).
      

2. Tentacle
   1. Tentacle short, narrow.
   2. Carpal cluster elongate.
   3. Two rows of subequal-sized hooks on manus.
   4. Two rows of suckers on dactylus.
   

   Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window

   
   

   Figure. Oral view of the tentacular club of E. reticulata, male, 117 mm ML, Hawaiian waters. Drawing from Burgess (1982).
   

3. Head
   
   1. Beaks: Descriptions can be found here: Lower beak; upper beak.
      
      
4. Integumental Photophores
   1. Ventral mantle with six longitudinal stripes of integumental organs, that are connected with oblique stripes to form latter-like pattern.
   2. Ventral head with four longitudinal stripes of integumental organs which connected in each side forming ring-like.
   3. Ventral side of arm III with a row of organs along almost entire length.

Life history

Eggs

Spawned eggs are ovoid, 1.08 x 0.78 mm, colorless, slightly opaque with a slightly dull, silvery chorion.

Paralarva

Paralarvae are distinguished by their numerous head and mantle chromatophores.

Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window

Figure. Ventral and dorsal views of paralarvae of E. reticulata and a ventral view of an early juvenile, Hawaiian waters. Drawings from Young and Harman (1985).

Juveniles

The following illustrations show the characteristic photophore patterns seen on the ventral mantle during development.

Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window

Figure. Ventral views of the mantles of two young E. reticulata.Drawings from Burgess (1982, p. 709, Fig. 2a,b).

Predators

E. reticulata is common item in the stomachs of lancetfish, Alepisaurus ferox, and bigeye tuna, Thunnus obesus, in the Indo-Pacific (Okutani and Tsukada, 1981; Moteki et al, 1993).

Distribution

Vertical distribution

Paralarvae were captured in the upper 200m (Young and Harman, 1985).

Geographical distribution

References

Burgess, L.A. 1982. Four new species of squid (Oegopsida: Enoploteuthis) from the central Pacific and a description of adult Enoploteuthis reticulata. Fishery Bulletin, 80(4):703-734.

Moteki, M., Fujita, K., Kohno, H., 1993. Stomach contents of longnoselancetfish, Alepisaurus ferox, in Hawaiian and central equatorial Pacific waters. J. Tokyo Univ. Fish. 80, 121–137.

Okutani, T. 1974. Epipelagic decapod cephalopods collected by micronekton tows during the EASTROPAC expeditions, 1967-1968 (systematic part). Bull. Tokai Reg. Fish. Res. Lab., 80: 29-118.

Tsuchiya, K. 2000. Illustrated book of the Enoploteuthidae. In: Okutani T., ed. True face of Watasenia scintillans. Tokai University Press, Tokyo, p 196–269. (in Japanese)

Young, R. E. and R. Harman. 1985. Early life history stages of enoploteuthin squids (Cephalopoda, Teuthoidea, Enoploteuthidae) from Hawaiian waters. Vie et Milieu, 35: 181-202.