Liguriella podophthalma

Tentacles

• Tentacular club with suckers only (no hooks), manus suckers with pointed teeth.
• Carpal cluster absent.
• Two series of suckers and knobs on tentacular stalk, beginning approximately mid-way along length.

Arms

• Suckers are enlarged mid-arm.
• Suckers with rounded teeth (which are more numerous proximally).  

Figure. Arm and club dentition of L. podophtalma: (a) basal Arm III, (b) medial Arm III (proximal), (c) manus sucker, (d) medial Arm III (distal), and (e) distal Arm III oral and lateral view (NMNZ M.286166, ML 123 mm). Drawing from Evans (2018, fig. 7.4).

Funnel

• Funnel valve absent
• Funnel organ: Dorsal pad with three papillae.

Mantle

• Gladius shape at dorsal mantle-head fusion point resembles an oval or elongated diamond (a feature which can sometimes be used to differentiate between this genus and Megalocranchia and Teuthowenia at smaller sizes).
• Tubercles present at funnel-mantle fusion.

Figure. Right ventral funnel–mantle fusion of Liguriella podophtalma. Drawing from Evans (2018, fig. 7.5).

Fins

• Fins oval in shape, comparatively stout.
• Posterior insertion of fins at distal end of gladius.
• All but anterior margin of fins insert on vanes of gladius.

Photophores

• Two contiguous photophores (one large, one small) on each eye.*
• Arm tip photophores absent.

Figure. Left eye schematic for Liguriella podophtalma (a) lateral view and (b) ventral view. Drawing from Evans (2018, fig. 7.3) 

*Unusual within family; shared with Sandalops.

The genus occurs circumglobally in tropical and subtropical oceans (Voss, et al. 1992).

Voss, et al. (1992) illustrated a paralarva and a juvenile but state that only subadults and adults can be confidently identified. Note the elongate "club" of the paralarva.

Figure. Paralarvae of L. podopthalma. Left -  Dorsal view. Right - Ventral view. Drawings from Voss (1980, p. 389, Fig. 7c, b).

Evans (2018) also provided illustrations of paralarval specimens within this taxon, showing some variation in form - post preservation.

Figure. Younger stages of Liguriella podophtalma (a) dorsal and (b) ventral view of ‘juvenile’ (NSMT Mo:85232; ML 34 mm) and (c) dorsal view of ‘paralarval’ specimen (NSMT Mo:85233; ML 9 mm). Drawings from Evans (2018, fig. 7.6).

Although Liguriella podophthalma is distributed in tropical and sub-tropical waters, it is worth noting that the other taxa within this genus (L. pardus) has been identified from the Kermadec Islands, a sub-tropical Pacific island chain part of the Aotearoa New Zealand EEZ; therefore, species overlap should be expected in this region.   

Although not a reliable distinguishing feature, Evans (2018) noted that adult and juvenile specimens of this species frequently displayed distinct coloration post-preservation.  The arm crown, near the head, was often a pink/purple color which faded to yellow/white as nearer to the distal arm tips.  

Liguriella Issel, 1908

Corynomma speculator Chun, 1910