Taningia fimbria
{{Short description|Species of squid}}
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Taningia fimbria is a species of octopus squid from the genus Taningia. Like other members of the family, T. fimbria lacks tentacles beyond small paralarval stages, has arms bearing two rows of sheathed hooks (instead of suckers), and bears large photophores at the tips of two arms.
Description
Though recognized as distinct since 1967,Clarke, M. R. (1967). A deep-sea squid, Taningia danae Joubin, 1931. Symposia of the Zoological Society of London, 19, 127–143.Clarke, M. R. (1980). Cephalopoda in the diet of sperm whales of the Southern Hemisphere and their bearing on sperm whale biology. Discovery Reports, 37, 1–324.{{Cite journal |last1=Hoving |first1=Hendrik Jan T. | last2=Lipinski |first2=Marek R. |last3=Videler |first3=John J. |last4=Bolstad |first4=Kat S. R. |date=2010 |title=Sperm storage and mating in the deep-sea squid Taningia danae Joubin, 1931 (Oegopsida: Octopoteuthidae) |journal=Marine Biology |volume=157 |issue=2 |pages=393–400 |doi=10.1007/s00227-009-1326-7 |pmc=3873075 |pmid=24391240 |bibcode=2010MarBi.157..393H }} Taningia fimbria was only diagnosed as a new species in 2019, being named after the "fringe" (Latin: fimbria) along the opening of the siphon, which consists of pointed projections of connective tissue along the aperture (thought to be a unique character to this species, unknown in all other cephalopods). Other unique characteristics separate the species from other species of Taningia, including a dense covering of epidermal tubercles (32-70 tubercles/cm²) made of thick collagen fibres and chondrocytes, a unique morphology in the first arm pair, and arm hooks and claws equipped with "accessory" hooks; the characters relating to the arms may be specific to the male, and an outer covering of "epithelial fibers" could only be confirmed on the tubercles of female specimens. For specimens not preserving these features, characters of the recti abdominis muscle and its surrounding features along with accessory claws on the arm hooks are a reliable way of diagnosis.
Specimens which were confirmed to be T. fimbria are {{Convert|212|-|970|mm|abbr=on}} in mantle length. In life, this species is brilliant, deep purple all over the body, except for the unpigmented portions which are pure white. The purple color is darkest over the arm-pair II photophores.
The tubercles of this species are thought to reinforce the links between the family Octopoteuthidae and the "scaled squid" families Pholidoteuthidae and Lepidoteuthidae; this character is thought to indicate the basal position of T. fimbria within the genus.{{Cite thesis|title=Systematics of the Octopoteuthidae Berry, 1912 (Cephalopoda: Oegopsida)|url=https://openrepository.aut.ac.nz/handle/10292/13046|publisher=Auckland University of Technology|date=2019|language=en|first=Jesse Tyler|last=Kelly|pages=230-243}} The size of the lower beak (lower rostral length; LRL) tends to be smaller in this species compared to Taningia danae.
This species has not been assessed by WoRMS.{{cite web | url = https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=138272 | title = Taningia Joubin, 1931 | accessdate = 5 April 2025 | publisher = Flanders Marine Institute | year = 2016 | author = Julian Finn | work = World Register of Marine Species}}
Distribution
Taningia fimbria is restricted to the Southern Hemisphere, between 30° and 50°S; specimens were collected in the South Atlantic, off the coast of South Africa, Tasmania, and most commonly, around the islands of New Zealand. Specimens were recovered from {{Convert|550|-|2000|m|abbr=on}} depth.
Ecology
Taningia fimbria is one of the squid species preyed upon by the sperm whale. It may also be eaten by the southern sleeper shark (Somniosus antarcticus) and large-bodied albatross (Diomedea spp.); both of these scavenge, though the shark actively predates on squid.{{cite journal |last1=Cherel |first1=Yves |title=Revisiting taxonomy of cephalopod prey of sperm whales caught commercially in subtropical and Southern Ocean waters |journal=Deep-Sea Research Part I |date=9 February 2021 |doi=10.1016/j.dsr.2021.103490 |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0967063721000297 |access-date=5 April 2025}}
See also
References
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