A review of cephalopods (Phylum: Mollusca) of the Canary Current Large Marine Ecosystem (Central-East Atlantic, African coast)

Abstract

An extensive review of cephalopod fauna in the Central and North Atlantic coast of Africa was performed based on material collected during 10 research cruises in these waters. In the Canary Current Large Marine Ecosystem (CCLME) area, a total of 378,377 cephalopod specimens was collected from 1247 bottom trawl stations. Of those specimens, 300 were sampled for subsequent identification in the laboratory and found to belong to 65 different species and 23 families. After an exhaustive review of the existing literature on the cephalopods and new data obtained from the surveys, an updated checklist of 138 species was generated for the CCLME area. Our knowledge of the known geographic distribution ranges of several species has been expanded: Muusoctopus januarii has been sighted from Guinea–Bissau waters, passing through Western Sahara, to Morocco waters for the first time; Lepidoteuthis grimaldii and Octopus salutii have been sighted off Morocco waters for the first time; Austrorossia mastigophora, Abralia (Heterabralia) siedleckyi, Abralia (Pygmabralia) redfieldi and Sepiola atlantica have been cited off Western Sahara waters for the first time; Magnoteuthis magna, Abralia (Asteroteuthis) veranyi and Octopoteuthis megaptera have been sighted off Moroccan and Western Sahara waters for the first time; Ancistroteuthis lichtensteinii, Opisthoteuthis grimaldii, Onykia robsoni, Muusoctopus levis and Bathypolypus valdiviae have been cited in the Guinea–Bissau coast for the first time; the northern geographic limit of Bathypolypus ergasticus has been expanded to Morocco, Western Sahara and Mauritania and southward to Guinea–Bissau waters. The presence of Muusoctopus johnsonianus in Senegalese waters has been reported for the first time. A Chtenopteryx sicula specimen was reported in Western Sahara waters. A specimen belonging to the poorly known Cirrothauma murrayi species was found in South Moroccan waters. Amphitretus pelagicus, a probably cosmopolitan species, has been reported in the Western Sahara and Guinea–Bissau waters. Some species that were previously recorded in the area, Sepia angulata, Sepia hieronis, Heteroteuthis dagamensis, Helicocranchia joubini and Tremoctopus gelatus, were removed from the final checklist and considered to be not present in the CCLME area. Cycloteuthis akimushkini was substituted with Cycloteuthis sirventi, its senior synonym, in the final checklist. Similarly, Mastigoteuthis flammea and Mastigoteuthis grimaldii were substituted with Mastigoteuthis agassizii.

Diet of Two Deep-Water Sharks, Deania calcea (Lowe, 1839) and Deania profundorum (Smith and Radcliffe, 1912), in the North Atlantic of Morocco

“…Some preys were recognized by their components, such as otoliths, scales and vertebras for Teleostei; antennas, shells and appendages for crustaceans, whereas cephalopods group was spotted by the remains of beaks, mantles suckers and tentacles. Based on identification keys (Reiss et al, 2009;Marceniuk et al, 2017;Luna et al, 2021), Table (1) shows the list of preys' items identified based on stomach content analysis. Identification of all preys ingested, identified abiotic materiel (IAM) and unidentified abiotic materiel are displayed in Table (1).…”

Bioluminescence in cephalopods: biodiversity, biogeography and research trends

“…Within the Chtenopterygidae family, only Chtenopteryx sepioloides and C. sicula have been confirmed as bioluminescent, for which the large eyeball photophores can assist in identifying these species (Escańez et al, 2012;Escańez et al, 2018;Luna et al, 2021). The potential presence of photophores in C. canariensis remains debated (Escańez et al, 2012;Escańez et al, 2018;Luna et al, 2021).…”

Biological traits as determinants in the macroecological patterns of distribution in loliginid squids

“…Cephalopods are exclusively marine molluscs that includes nautilids, cuttle shes, squids, and octopods, with around 860 species distributed in 50 families and 174 genera (Hoving et al 2014; Luna et al 2021), some species are large animals that can have wide geographical distributions (> 5,000 km) (Rosa et Since all cephalopods have funnel and jet propulsion, the size and shape of ns could be determinant in their movement capabilities (Clarke 1988). Squids have nine different n shapes that contribute to fast swimming and orientation control (following Clarke 1988; Boyle and Rodhouse 2005).…”