Cephalopod limb

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

All cephalopods possess flexible

limbs extending from their heads and
surrounding their beaks. These
appendages, which function as
muscular hydrostats, have been
variously termed arms or tentacles.
Arm of Illex illecebrosus with two rows of suckers along its length

Contents
1 Description
Tentacle of Illex illecebrosus with a distal tentacular club (right)
2 Suckers
3 Abnormalities
4 Variability
4.1 Arms
4.2 Tentacular clubs
4.3 Suckers
5 References

Description
In the scientific literature, a cephalopod arm is often treated as distinct
from a tentacle, though the terms are sometimes used interchangeably.
Generally, arms have suckers along most of their length, as opposed to
tentacles, which have suckers only near their ends.[1] Barring a few
exceptions, octopuses have eight arms and no tentacles, while squid and
cuttlefish have eight arms and two tentacles.[2] The limbs of nautiluses,
which number around 90 and lack suckers altogether, are called
Arms and buccal mass of the squid
tentacles.[2][3][4]
Taningia danae. As in other
The tentacles of Decapodiformes are thought to be derived from the Octopoteuthidae, the tentacles are absent
in adults.
fourth arm pair of the ancestral coleoid, but the term arms IV is used to
refer to the subsequent, ventral arm pair in modern animals (which is
evolutionarily the fifth arm pair).[1]

The males of most cephalopods develop a specialised arm for sperm

delivery, the hectocotylus.

Anatomically, cephalopod limbs function using a crosshatch of helical

collagen fibres in opposition to internal muscular hydrostatic
pressure.[5]

Suckers
Oral view of the bobtail squid Semirossia
Cephalopod limbs bear numerous suckers along their ventral surface as tenera
in octopus, squid and cuttlefish arms, or in clusters at the ends of the
tentacles, as in squid and cuttlefish.[6] Each sucker is usually circular
and bowl-like and has two distinct parts: an outer shallow cavity called an infundibulum and a central hollow
cavity called an acetabulum. Both of these structures are thick muscles, and are covered with a chitinous cuticle
to make a protective surface.[7] Suckers are used for grasping
to make a protective surface.[7] Suckers are used for grasping
substratum, catching prey and for locomotion. When a sucker attaches
itself to an object, the infundibulum mainly provides adhesion while the
central acetabulum is free. Sequential muscle contraction of the
infundibulum and acetabulum causes attachment and detachment.[8][9]

Abnormalities
Many octopus arm anomalies have been recorded,[10][11] including a 6-
armed octopus (nicknamed Henry the Hexapus), a 7-armed octopus,[12] Head and limbs of the bobtail squid
a 10-armed Octopus briareus,[13] one with a forked arm tip,[14] Rossia glaucopis
octopuses with double or bilateral hectocotylization,[15][16] and
specimens with up to 96 arm branches.[17][18][19]

Branched arms and other limb abnormalities have also been recorded in
cuttlefish,[20] squid,[21] and bobtail squid.[22]

Variability
Cephalopod limbs and the suckers they bear are shaped in many
distinctive ways, and vary considerably between species. Some
examples are shown below.

Arms
Oral view of male Bathypolypus arcticus
For hectocotylized arms see hectocotylus variability.
with hectocotylus on arm III (left)

Cephalopod suckers and configuration of

suckers on tentacular club

Shape of arm Species Family

Todarodes pacificus Ommastrephidae

Tentacular clubs

Serrated suckers of a giant squid

Octopus arm with two rows of suckers

Octopus suckers
A deformed octopus sucker cluster

A common octopus with a forked arm

that was found in south Crete, Greece
Shape of tentacular club Species Family

Abraliopsis morisi Enoploteuthidae

Ancistroteuthis lichtensteini Onychoteuthidae

Architeuthis sp. Architeuthidae

Austrorossia mastigophora Sepiolidae

Berryteuthis magister Gonatidae

Idioteuthis cordiformis Mastigoteuthidae

Iridoteuthis iris Sepiolidae

 Mastigoteuthis glaukopis Mastigoteuthidae

Onykia ingens Onychoteuthidae

Semirossia tenera Sepiolidae

Spirula spirula Spirulidae

Todarodes pacificus Ommastrephidae

Suckers
Shape of sucker Species Family

Idioteuthis cordiformis Mastigoteuthidae

Idioteuthis latipinna Mastigoteuthidae

Magnapinna talismani Magnapinnidae

Mastigoteuthis agassizii Mastigoteuthidae

Mastigoteuthis atlantica Mastigoteuthidae

 Mastigoteuthis dentata Mastigoteuthidae

Mastigoteuthis grimaldii Mastigoteuthidae

Mastigoteuthis magna Mastigoteuthidae

References
1. Young, R.E., M. Vecchione & K.M. Mangold 1999. Cephalopoda Glossary (http://tolweb.org/accessory/
Cephalopoda_Glossary?acc_id=587). Tree of Life web project.
2. Norman, M. 2000. Cephalopods: A World Guide. ConchBooks, Hackenheim. p. 15. "There is some
confusion around the terms arms versus tentacles. The numerous limbs of nautiluses are called tentacles.
The ring of eight limbs around the mouth in cuttlefish, squids and octopuses are called arms. Cuttlefish
and squid also have a pair of specialised limbs attached between the bases of the third and fourth arm
pairs [...]. These are known as feeding tentacles and are used to shoot out and grab prey."
3. Fukuda, Y. 1987. Histology of the long digital tentacles. In: W.B. Saunders & N.H. Landman (eds.)
Nautilus: The Biology and Paleobiology of a Living Fossil. Springer Netherlands. pp. 249256.
doi:10.1007/978-90-481-3299-7_17 (https://doi.org/10.1007%2F978-90-481-3299-7_17)
4. Kier, W.M. 1987. "The functional morphology of the tentacle musculature of Nautilus pompilius." (http://
biology.unc.edu/faculty/Kier/lab/pdf/Kier_1987.pdf) (PDF). In: W.B. Saunders & N.H. Landman (eds.)
Nautilus: The Biology and Paleobiology of a Living Fossil. Springer Netherlands. pp. 257269.
doi:10.1007/978-90-481-3299-7_18 (https://doi.org/10.1007%2F978-90-481-3299-7_18)
5. Inside natures giants, Giant squid episode.
 6. von Byern J, Klepal W (2005). "Adhesive mechanisms in cephalopods: a review". Biofouling. 22 (56):
32938. PMID 17110356 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17110356).
doi:10.1080/08927010600967840 (https://doi.org/10.1080%2F08927010600967840).
7. Walla G (2007). "A study of the Comparative Morphology of Cephalopod Armature" (http://www.tonmo.
com/science/public/gcwalla.php). tonmo.com. Deep Intuition, LLC. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
8. Kier WM, Smith AM (2002). "The structure and adhesive mechanism of octopus suckers". Integr Comp
Biol. 42 (6): 11461153. PMID 21680399 (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21680399).
doi:10.1093/icb/42.6.1146 (https://doi.org/10.1093%2Ficb%2F42.6.1146).
9. Octopuses & Relatives. "Learn about octopuses & relatives: locomotion" (http://www.asnailsodyssey.co
m/LEARNABOUT/OCTOPUS/octoLoco.php). asnailsodyssey.com. Retrieved 2013-06-08.
10. Kumph H.E. (1960). "Arm abnormality in octopus". Nature. 185 (4709): 334335.
doi:10.1038/185334a0 (https://doi.org/10.1038%2F185334a0).
11. Toll R.B., Binger L.C. (1991). "Arm anomalies: cases of supernumerary development and bilateral
agenesis of arm pairs in Octopoda (Mollusca, Cephalopoda)". Zoomorphology. 110 (6): 313316.
doi:10.1007/BF01668021 (https://doi.org/10.1007%2FBF01668021).
12. Gleadall I.G. (1989). "An octopus with only seven arms: anatomical details" (http://mollus.oxfordjournal
s.org/cgi/content/abstract/55/4/479). Journal of Molluscan Studies. 55 (4): 479487.
doi:10.1093/mollus/55.4.479 (https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fmollus%2F55.4.479).
13. Minor birth defect resulting in 10-armed juvenile, all arms fully present and functional. (http://cephbase.u
tmb.edu/imgdb/imgsrch3.cfm?ID=66&PhotographerID=&CephID=510) CephBase.
14. Minor birth defect showing bifurcated arm tip. Both tips were fully functional. (http://cephbase.utmb.ed
u/imgdb/imgsrch3.cfm?ID=65&PhotographerID=&CephID=510) CephBase.
15. Robson G.C. (1929). "On a case of bilateral hectocotylization in Octopus rugosus". Journal of Zoology.
99 (1): 9597. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1929.tb07690.x (https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fj.1469-7998.1929.tb
07690.x).
16. Palacio, F.J. 1973. "On the double hectocotylization of octopods." (http://ia311216.us.archive.org/2/item
s/nautilus87amer/nautilus87amer.pdf) (PDF). The Nautilus 87: 99102.
17. Okada Y.K. (1965). "On Japanese octopuses with branched arms, with special reference to their captures
from 1884 to 1964" (http://www.journalarchive.jst.go.jp/english/jnlabstract_en.php?cdjournal=pjab1945
&cdvol=41&noissue=7&startpage=618). Proceedings of the Japan Academy. 41 (7): 618623.
18. Okada Y.K. (1965). "Rules of arm-branching in Japanese octopuses with branched arms" (http://www.jou
rnalarchive.jst.go.jp/english/jnlabstract_en.php?cdjournal=pjab1945&cdvol=41&noissue=7&startpage=6
24). Proceedings of the Japan Academy. 41 (7): 624629.
19. Monster octopi with scores of extra tentacles (http://pinktentacle.com/2008/07/monster-octopi-with-score
s-of-extra-tentacles/). Pink Tentacle, July 18, 2008.
20. Okada Y.K. (1937). "An occurrence of branched arms in the decapod cephalopod, Sepia esculenta
Hoyle". Annotated Zoology of Japan. 17: 9394.
21. Bradbury H.E., Aldrich F.A. (1971). "The occurrence of morphological abnormalities in the oegopsid
squid Illex illecebrosus (Lesueur, 1821)". Canadian Journal of Zoology. 49 (3): 377379.
doi:10.1139/z71-055 (https://doi.org/10.1139%2Fz71-055).
22. Voss G.L. (1957). "Observations on abnormal growth of the arms and tentacles in the squid genus
Rossia". The Quarterly Journal of the Florida Academy of Sciences. 20 (2): 129132.

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