Ontogeny of the deep-sea cranchiid squid Teuthowenia pellucida (Cephalopoda: Cranchiidae) from New Zealand waters

Abstract

Teuthowenia pellucida is a cosmopolitan southern sub-tropical species, and is abundantly represented in local New Zealand collections. However, because of the morphological similarities between this and other cranchiid genera at early ontogenetic stages, accurate identification of small specimens can be difficult. Herein, the morphological changes characterizing six pre-adult developmental stages (termed A–F) are reported in detail, as well as adult morphology; new information is provided on fecundity. These findings comprise a small contribution toward eventual resolution of the systematically unstable Cranchiidae.