Cirrina

Common card · No. 359265

Cirrina or Cirrata is a suborder and one of the two main divisions of octopuses. Cirrate octopuses have a small, internal shell and two fins on their head, while their sister suborder Incirrina has neither. The fins of cirrate octopods are associated with a unique cartilage-like shell in a shell sac. In cross-section, the fins have distinct proximal and distal regions, both of which are covered by a thin surface sheath of muscle. The suborder is named for small, cilia-like strands (cirri) on the arms of the octopus, a pair for each sucker. These are thought to play some role in feeding, perhaps by creating currents of water that help bring food closer to the beak. Cirrate octopuses are noteworthy for lacking ink sacs, having reduced or absent radula, and reduced gills. The oldest known member of the group is Nanaimoteuthis, including the giant N. haggarti (estimated total length potentially between 6.6 and 18.6 metres (22 and 61 ft)), from the Late Cretaceous of Japan and Canada. There...

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