Comparative anatomy and functional implications of variation in the buccal mass in coleoid cephalopods

In contrast to the well-studied articulated vertebrate jaws, the structure and function of cephalopod jaws remains poorly known. Cephalopod jaws are unique as the two jaw elements do not contact one another, are embedded in a muscular mass and connected through a muscle joint. Previous studies have described the anatomy of the buccal mass muscles in cephalopods and have proposed variation in muscle volume depending on beak shape. However, the general structure of the muscles has been suggested to be similar in octopuses, squids, and cuttlefish. Here we provide a quantitative analysis of the variation in the buccal mass of coleoids using traditional dissections, histological sections and contrast-enhanced computed tomography scans. Our results show that the buccal mass is composed of four main homologous muscles present in both decapodiforms and octopodiforms as suggested previously. However, we also report the presence of a muscle uniquely present in octopodiforms (the postero-lateral mandibular muscle). Our three dimensional reconstructions and quantitative analyses of the buccal mass muscles pave the way for future functional analyses allowing to better model jaw closing in coleoids. Finally, our results suggest differences in beak and muscle function that need to be validated using future in vivo functional analyses.

Automated summary

Compared to the well-studied articulated vertebrate jaws, the structure and function of cephalopod jaws are not well understood. The unique features of cephalopod jaws include the lack of contact between the two jaw elements, their embedded position in a muscular mass, and their connection through a muscle joint. This study provides a quantitative analysis of the variation in the buccal mass muscles of cephalopods using different methods. The results reveal the general structure of the muscles and the presence of a unique muscle in octopods.