ABSTRACT
Little is known about mechanoreceptors in cephalopods. The anatomical data are fragmentary; Graziadei (1964) described multipolar nerve cells in the arms of Octopus and the lips of Sepia and similar structures have been described in the mantle of Octopus (Sereni & Young, 1932) and Eledone (Alexandrowicz, 1960). While there is good physiological evidence for the existence of mechanoreceptors in the mantle of Octopus (Gray, 1960; Wilson, 1960; Boyle, 1976), mechanoreception in the mantle and fins of decapods has not been investigated. Here we present physiological evidence that there are receptors along the entire length of the cuttlefish fin that respond to mechanical stimuli. We also identify unusual structures in the fin whose distribution is consistent with their being these receptors.
