Note

Cephalopod Digestive System Comparisons

Richard E. Young, Michael Vecchione, and Katharina M. Mangold (1922-2003)
Cephalopoda Glossary Cephalopod Digestive System Terminology

Richard E. Young, Michael Vecchione and Katharina M. Mangold

In Octopus (a representative incirrate octopod) note the large, external anterior salivary glands, the large, paired posterior salivary glands (poison glands), the crop diverticulum, the fused and compact digestive gland duct appendages, the loop in the intestine and the highly coiled caecum which lacks a caecal sac In Vamproteuthis (the only member of the Vampyromorpha) note the large, external anterior salivary glands, the single, small posterior salivary gland, the distended crop, the digestive gland duct appendages that are similar to those of Octopus, the absence of anal flaps and the absence of a caecal sac. In Abralia (a representative oegopsid squid) note the very small anterior salivary glands, the bilobed posterior salivary gland, the digestive gland duct appendages spread along the digestive gland duct and the presence of a caecal sac. In Loligo (a representative myopsid squid) note the single posterior salivary gland, the partially embedded anterior salivary glands, the digestive gland divided in its posterior third allowing the esophagus to emerge ventrally and the very large caecal sac. In Sepia (a representative sepioid) note that the anterior salivary glands are embedded within the buccal mass, the posterior salivary glands are paired, the digestive gland is paired, the intestine has a loop and a caecal sac is absent.

Click on an image to view larger version & data in a new window
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Figure. Drawings modified from Mangold and Young, 1998.

About This Page


University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA


National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D. C. , USA

Katharina M. Mangold (1922-2003)
Laboratoire Arago, Banyuls-Sur-Mer, France

Page: Tree of Life Cephalopod Digestive System Comparisons Authored by Richard E. Young, Michael Vecchione, and Katharina M. Mangold (1922-2003). The TEXT of this page is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License - Version 3.0. Note that images and other media featured on this page are each governed by their own license, and they may or may not be available for reuse. Click on an image or a media link to access the media data window, which provides the relevant licensing information. For the general terms and conditions of ToL material reuse and redistribution, please see the Tree of Life Copyright Policies.

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