A translation into English of Ebersbachʼs “On the anatomy of Cirroteuthis umbellata Fischer and Stauroteuthis sp.”—with comments on Grimpoteuthis

Abstract

The historic thesis of Albin O Ebersbach (1887–1915), describing the internal and external anatomy of cirrate octopods Grimpoteuthis and Stauroteuthis, is herein translated to enable its important morphological insights into cirrate octopods to be better accessed and appreciated by the teuthological community. A biography of Ebersbach is briefly covered, and the identification of his specimens is discussed, given apparently overlooked morphological details of his specimens including the presence of a distinct radula and posterior salivary gland in his Grimpoteuthis material. Additional taxonomically informative states in cirrates are needed, and as a result of this translation additional internal morphological details are proposed that may be of systematic importance. These states may be of increasing practicality to assess with the increased use of non-invasive imaging techniques.