Enoploteuthis leptura (Leach, 1817)

Introduction

Characteristics

1. Arms
   1. Arm hooks on arms I-III (45-79 mm ML): 22-27.
   2. Arm hooks on arms IV (45-79 mm ML, male and female): 32-39.
      
   3. Males with numerous, minute papillae over oral surfaces of arms I-III.
      
   4. Hectocotylus: Right arm IV with expanded ventral protective membrane (=flap) in distal third of arm opposite about 6 pairs of hooks. Dorsal protective membrane expands slightly into a series of small flaps opposite the large flap of the ventral membrane.
      
      

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      Figure. Oral view of the distal third of the hectocotylus of E. leptura, 79 mm ML. western North Atlantic off Florida. Drawing from Roper (1966).

2. Tentacles
   1. Tentacles short, thin.
   2. Clubs not expanded. Manus with 2 series of hooks: ventral series with 6-7 larger hooks, dorsal series with 4-5 smaller hooks. Dactylus with suckers in two series totalling 10-15 suckers. Carpal cluster long and narrow.
      
      

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      Figure. Oral view of the tentacular club of E. leptura. Drawing from Roper (1966).

3. Integumental photophores
   1. Ventral mantle with six complex photophore series anteriorly. A seventh series in ventral midline doesn't reach anterior mantle margin but curves to join one nearby medial series to either the right or left. Ventral, anterior margin of mantle with discontinuous row of photophores; gaps correspond to spaces between photophore series on mantle.
   2. Ventral head with six photophore series (excluding eyelid series). Lateral-most series broken by ventral window in skin. No photophores present between the latter and the eyelid series.
      

Comments

The above description is from Roper (1966).

Life History

Age and growth

Based on statolith increments, E. leptura in Gulf of Guinea shows early maturation of males (at age 45-60 days) and females (at 80-90 days). Maximum age is 153 days in mature males of 72 mm DML, and 143 days in mature females of 92 mm DML (Arkhipkin, 1994).

Spawning

In the Gulf of Guinea, two peaks of spawning were recognized between January and September (Arkhipkin, 1994).

Distributiion

Type locality - Tropical Atlantic Ocean off West Africa at 01°08'N, 07°26'30"E.

Geographical distribution - Tropical Atlantic from Bermuda and Madeira to Brazil and southwestern Africa (Nesis, 1982/87).

References

Arkhipkin, A.I. 1994. Age, growth and maturation of the squid Enoploteuthis leptura (Oegopsida: Enoploteuthidae) form the central-east Atlantic. Journal of Molluscan Studies, 60:1-8.

Nesis, K. N. 1982. Abridged key to the cephalopod mollusks of the world's ocean. 385+ii pp. Light and Food Industry Publishing House, Moscow. (In Russian.). Translated into English by B. S. Levitov, ed. by L. A. Burgess (1987), Cephalopods of the world. T. F. H. Publications, Neptune City, NJ, 351pp.

Roper, C.F.E., 1966. A study of the genus Enoploteuthis (Cephalopoda: Oegopsida) in the Atlantic Ocean with a description of the type species, E. leptura (Leach, 1817). Dana Report, 66:1-46.