Siphuncular Structure in the Extant Spirula and in Other Coleoids (Cephalopoda)

Abstract

The shell wall in Spirula is composed of prismatic layers, whereas the septa consist of lamello-fibrillar nacre. The septal neck is holochoanitic and consists of two calcareous layers: the outer lamello-fibrillar nacreous layer that continues from the septum, and the inner pillar layer that covers the inner surface of the septal neck. The pillar layer probably is a structurally modified simple prisma layer that covers the inner surface of the septal neck in Nautilus. The pillars have a complicated crystalline structure and contain high amount of chitinous substance. The interspaces between the pillars probably are traversed horizontally by numerous chitinous membranes like in the cuttlebone chambers in Sepia. The connecting ring is composed of similar two layers as that in the extant Nautilus: the outer spherulitic–prismatic layer and the inner chitinous layer. The spherulitic–prismatic layer takes its origin on the outer surface of the septal neck, whereas the inner chitinous layer is the non-calcified continuation of the lamello-fibrillar nacreous layer of the septal neck. The siphuncular structure in Spirula is compared with that in the extant Nautilus, fossil nautilosiphonate nautiloids, and five taxa of coleoids.

Keywords:

• Siphuncular structures
• connecting rings
• Spirula
• pillar layer
• coleoid siphuncles

Acknowledgements

I express my gratitude to Dr Dirk Fuchs, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan, and to an anonymous reviewer for valuable constructive criticism.