Tremoctopus violaceus delle Chiaie, 1830

Roper, Clyde F. E., Gutierrez, A. & Vecchione, M., 2013, Paralarval octopods of the Florida Current, Journal of Natural History 49 (21 - 24), pp. 1281-1304 : 1289

Tremoctopus violaceus delle Chiaie, 1830

Tremoctopus violaceus ( Figure 6 ) was represented by five specimens from 2.0 to 4.4 mm ML. The paralarvae are characterized by (a) the arm formula of 1> 2> 4> 3; (c) arms with two series of chromatophores on their aboral surface (usually on the distal part) ( Figure 6A ) and one chromatophore on each sucker; (d) the dorsal surface of the mantle covered uniformly with more than 30 small chromatophores and the ventral surface of the mantle patterned with four to six chromatophores in a single band along the anterior margin; the mid-region devoid of chromatophores, and a dense cluster of chromatophores on the posterior region; (e) the ventral surface of the funnel devoid of chromatophores; (f) 12 evenly-spaced chromatophores on the dorsal surface of the head; (g) six chromatophores, three each side lateral to the funnel, on the ventral surface of the head .

Figures

Figure 6. Tremoctopus violaceus paralarval chromatophore patterns and arm sucker development. (A) Chromatophores on dorsal surface of mantle, head and arm pairs I and II; (B) chromatophores on ventral surface of mantle, funnel, head and arm pairs III and IV; (C) oral view of sucker development on Arms I to IV. (Size range examined 2.0–4.4 mm mantle length.)