Metasepia tullbergi

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Metasepia tullbergi
Northern Flamboyant Cuttlefish (Metasepia tullbergi) - GRB.JPG
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Cephalopoda
Order: Sepiida
Family: Sepiidae
Genus: Metasepia
Species:
M. tullbergi
Binomial name
Metasepia tullbergi
Appellöf, 1886 [2]
Synonyms
  • Sepia tullbergi
    Appellöf, 1886
  • Ascarosepion tullbergi
    Lupše, Kubodera 2023

The paintpot cuttlefish (Metasepia tullbergi) is a small, poorly researched species of cuttlefish found in the Indo-Pacific, between Japan and Hong Kong. It is one of the two species classified in the genus Metasepia . Metasepia cuttlefish are characterized by their small, thick, diamond-shaped cuttlebone, and distinctive body coloration. [3]

Contents

The World Register of Marine Species lists the paintpot cuttlefish under the genus Ascarosepion; within this genus it is grouped with 13 other species, such as the broadclub cuttlefish, the reaper cuttlefish, and the giant cuttlefish. This reclassification renders the genus Metasepia obsolete [4] [5]

Description

Paintpot cuttlefish are a slow-moving, bottom-dwelling species in the neritic zone found at a depth of 20 to 100 meters in subtropical climates. Their mantle (the "body") is about 70mm long; it has a broad, oval-shape with 10 to 13 pores on each side. Their fins are joined in the back of the animal with arms located on the opposite end of the squid at the head, like all coleoids. Their arms typically have 10 to 12 rows of shorter suckers followed by larger ones and then tapering in size through to the arm tip. Their adult weight ranges from 30 to 40 grams. [6] The hectocolytus (male sperm) is present in the left ventral arm. Unlike other species of cuttlefish, Metasepia have a cuttlebone that is much smaller than their mantle. Characteristic of cephalopods, chitin is present as a thin film covering the entire dorsal surface of the cuttlebone and tapers into a sharp point on the dorsal corner. [6] The anterior surface of the cuttlebone is entirely covered in chitin; the posterior surface is calcareous. The paintpot cuttlefish's chromatophores are mostly set to be darkly colored with bright yellow spots on the head, dorsal side of mantle, and arms. The protective membranes on the arms are red. [7]

Habitat

The paintpot cuttlefish is typically found in the subtropical Indo-Pacific, in the seas surrounding Japan, China and Korea. Sightings have been recorded in Japan from southern Honshu, the Sea of Japan, Yellow Sea, East China Sea to Taiwan and Hong Kong, South China Sea, the Philippines and the Gulf of Thailand. [8] In these regions, the paintpot cuttlefish is found in the continental shelf between 20 and 100 meters deep on sandy to muddy substrate or on sea pens in rocky substrate. [6] [7] It is unknown if it is sympatric with its conspecific the flamboyant cuttlefish.[ citation needed ]

Life history

Like its sister species, the paintpot cuttlefish lives directly on the benthos; its buoyancy regulating organ, the cuttlebone, is too small to efficiently lift it off the seabed; thus it walks on its tentacles and protrusions of its mantle. Like all members of class Cephalopoda, paintpot cuttlefish are gonochoric. Each individual is either male or female. Male individuals have sperm stored in the hectocotylus, a modified arm organ that specialized to store and transfer spermatophores to a female. Males perform various displays to attract a female for copulation during which they insert their hectocotylus into a female’s mantle cavity and fertilize the eggs. Egg masses are laid in rocky areas at around 20 meters deep and hatch during the summer. Freshly hatched cuttlefish, which resemble miniature adults, migrate to 80 meters depth in sandy-mud areas from August to September to grow and develop, after which the mature squid moves towards the shallows to spawn. This migration occurs in March. Embryos hatch and live as plankton in the water column for several weeks before becoming benthic adults. [6] [ contradictory ]

Research

The paintpot cuttlefish was used as a research specimen to analyze how neuronal activity may propagate through the body. One phenomenon that many cephalopods share is the ability for their skin to change colors due to the presence of chromatophores on their skin. The change of color is activated by an action potential traveling through the cephalopod skin. Because all neural activity in biological systems are controlled by the propagation of action potentials, neuroscientists are especially interested in this visual representation of action potential propagation. Cuttlefish have a mode of color change typified by dark bands traveling across the animal’s body in a coordinated pattern called “passing clouds”. [9] The paintpot cuttlefish is especially conducive to this kind of research due to their small size, slow speed and the frequency of the passing clouds display. The results of this study concluded that the passing clouds phenomenon was a result of central wave generation indicating that the action potential originated at a single point controller. This may indicate that cephalopods may have a central nervous system similar to humans which can lead to larger implications in neuroscience. [10] [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Squid</span> Superorder of cephalopod molluscs

A squid is a mollusc with an elongated soft body, large eyes, eight arms, and two tentacles in the superorder Decapodiformes, though many other molluscs within the broader Neocoleoidea are also called squid despite not strictly fitting these criteria. Like all other cephalopods, squid have a distinct head, bilateral symmetry, and a mantle. They are mainly soft-bodied, like octopuses, but have a small internal skeleton in the form of a rod-like gladius or pen, made of chitin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sepiidae</span> Family of cuttlefishes

Sepiidae is a family of cephalopods in the order Sepiida.

<i>Metasepia pfefferi</i> Species of cuttlefish

Metasepia pfefferi, also known as the flamboyant cuttlefish, is a species of cuttlefish occurring in tropical Indo-Pacific waters off northern Australia, southern New Guinea, as well as numerous islands of the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia.

<i>Sepia latimanus</i> Species of cephalopods known as the broadclub cuttlefish

Sepia latimanus, also known as the broadclub cuttlefish, is widely distributed from the Andaman Sea, east to Fiji, and south to northern Australia. It is the most common cuttlefish species on coral reefs, living at a depth of up to 30 m.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Common cuttlefish</span> Species of cephalopod

The common cuttlefish or European common cuttlefish is one of the largest and best-known cuttlefish species. They are a migratory species that spend the summer and spring inshore for spawning and then move to depths of 100 to 200m during autumn and winter. They grow to 49 cm in mantle length (ML) and 4 kg in weight. Animals from subtropical seas are smaller and rarely exceed 30 cm in ML.

<i>Sepia mestus</i> Species of cuttlefish

Sepia mestus, also known as the reaper cuttlefish or red cuttlefish, is a species of cuttlefish native to the southwestern Pacific Ocean, specifically Escape Reef off Queensland to Murrays Beach off Jervis Bay. Reports of this species from China and Vietnam are now known to be misidentifications. S. mestus lives at a depth of between 0 and 22 m.

Sepia australis, the southern cuttlefish, is a species of cuttlefish which is found in the eastern South Atlantic Ocean and the western Indian Ocean off the coasts of Southern Africa, possibly extending into the waters off East Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuttlefish</span> Order of molluscs

Cuttlefish or cuttles are marine molluscs of the order Sepiida. They belong to the class Cephalopoda which also includes squid, octopuses, and nautiluses. Cuttlefish have a unique internal shell, the cuttlebone, which is used for control of buoyancy.

Sepia zanzibarica, or the Zanzibar cuttlefish, is a species of cuttlefish native to the Indian Ocean.

<i>Sepia prashadi</i> Species of cuttlefish

Sepia prashadi, common name hooded cuttlefish, is a widely distributed species of cuttlefish. It has a thin, oval body and grows from 5 to 11 cm. The tips of the tentacles have a distinct club shape. S. prashadi is a migratory, demersal cuttlefish living in shallow waters at depths of approximately 40 to 50 metres. It is found in many locations including the east coast of Africa, around India, in the Red Sea, and Persian Gulf.

Sepia braggi, the slender cuttlefish, is a species of cuttlefish native to the Indo-Pacific Ocean. It has been found in coastal waters of southern Australia. This species was first collected in South Australia by its namesake, William Lawrence Bragg. Sepia braggi was then described by Sir Joseph Cooke Verco in 1907.Sepia braggi is part of the subgenus Doratosepion which contains to 41 species of cuttlefish in total.

<i>Sepia elegans</i> Species of cuttlefish

Sepia elegans, the elegant cuttlefish, is a species of cuttlefish in the family Sepiidae from the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It is an important species for fisheries in some parts of the Mediterranean where its population may have suffered from overfishing.

<i>Euprymna morsei</i> Species of mollusc

Euprymna morsei, the Mimika bobtail squid, is a species of Indo-Pacific bobtail squid from the family Sepiolidae.

Sepia bertheloti, the African cuttlefish, is a species of cuttlefish from the family Sepiidae which is found in the warmer waters of the eastern Atlantic Ocean off Africa.

<i>Sepia orbignyana</i> Species of cuttlefish

Sepia orbignyana, the pink cuttlefish, is a species of small cuttlefish from the family Sepiidae. It is occurs in the temperate and tropical waters of the eastern Atlantic Ocean.

<i>Gonatopsis borealis</i> Species of squid

Gonatopsis borealis, the Boreopacific armhook squid, is a species of squid from the North Pacific Ocean. It is a member of the family Gonatidae. It is an abundant species which is currently caught mainly as a bycatch by fishing boats targeting other quarry. It is an important prey species for many commercially important species of fish, as well as for marine mammals.

Lampadioteuthis megaleia is a small, colorful squid, the only species in the only genus in the monotypic family Lampadioteuthidae. It is sometimes known as the wonderful firefly squid. It was formerly classified in the family Lycoteuthidae, but differs from them mainly by having a hectocotylus in the males and by the possession of a rostrum on the gladius.

<i>Sepia bandensis</i> Species of cuttlefish

Sepia bandensis, commonly known as the stumpy-spined cuttlefish or dwarf cuttlefish, is a species of cuttlefish. Sepia baxteri and Sepia bartletti are possible synonyms. It reaches 7 centimeters in mantle length; males weigh about 40 grams, females 45 grams. The body is coloured light brown, or greenish yellow, with white spots on the head and short white bars on the dorsal mantle. The fins, of pale colour, have rows of small fluorescent blue spots.

<i>Wunderpus photogenicus</i> Species of cephalopod

Wunderpus photogenicus, the wunderpus octopus, is a small-bodied species of octopus with distinct white and rusty brown coloration. 'Wunderpus' from German “wunder” meaning ‘marvel or wonder’.

<i>Sepia lycidas</i> Species of cuttlefish

Sepia lycidas, commonly known as the kisslip cuttlefish, is a species of cuttlefish within the genus Sepia. They are also classified under the family Sepiidae, which encompasses some of the most commonly known and recognized cuttlefish. Phylogenetically, this species of cuttlefish is most closely related to Sepia aculeata, Sepia esculenta, and Sepia pharaonis. This species is typically reddish brown to purple in color, with patches and stripes present on their dorsal mantle. On average, they grow to be about 38 cm in length and weigh 5 kg at maximum. The kisslip cuttlefish can be found mainly within the Indo-West Pacific, at depths ranging from 15–100 meters. Additionally, this species exhibits many diverse, complex reproductive behaviors; for example, courting, mating displays, and mate competition. Other interesting behaviors includes their feeding and hunting methods, which entails turning towards a preferred direction to "jump on" and engulf their prey of small fish and crustaceans. Sepia lycidas has many human uses and is important in the economy of many Southeast Asian countries, especially since they are often eaten for their high nutritional value. They are also currently being studied as an alternative source of collagen for human use, since their thick outer skin contain high levels of collagen that goes to waste when they are eaten or caught as bycatch.

References

  1. ↑ Barratt, I.; Allcock, L. (2012). "Metasepia tullbergi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2012: e.T162538A911484. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2012-1.RLTS.T162538A911484.en . Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  2. ↑ Julian Finn (2016). "Metasepia tullbergi (Appellöf, 1886)". World Register of Marine Species. Flanders Marine Institute. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
  3. ↑ "Metasepia tullbergi, paintpot cuttlefish". www.sealifebase.ca. Retrieved 2019-04-03.
  4. ↑ "WoRMS taxon details". WoRMS. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  5. ↑ "WoRMS taxon details". WoRMS. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Kilias, R. (1986). "C. F. E. Roper, Michael J. Sweeney and Cornelia E. Nauen (eds.): Cephalopods of the World. An Annotated and Illustrated Catalogue of Species of Interest to Fisheries = FAO Fisheries Synopsis No 125, Vol. 3.—With figs., 277 pp. Rome: FAO 1984. ISBN 92-5-101382-9". Internationale Revue der gesamten Hydrobiologie und Hydrographie. 71 (2): 282. doi:10.1002/iroh.19860710216. ISSN   0020-9309.
  7. 1 2 "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . Retrieved 2019-04-03.
  8. ↑ "Metasepia". tolweb.org. Retrieved 2019-04-03.
  9. 1 2 Laurent, Gilles; Kuba, Michael J.; Gutnick, Tamar; Laan, Andres (2014-08-04). "Behavioral Analysis of Cuttlefish Traveling Waves and Its Implications for Neural Control". Current Biology. 24 (15): 1737–1742. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2014.06.027 . ISSN   0960-9822. PMID   25042589.
  10. ↑ Osorio, Daniel (2014-08-04). "Cephalopod Behaviour: Skin Flicks". Current Biology. 24 (15): R684–R685. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2014.06.066 . ISSN   0960-9822. PMID   25093557.
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