Bathyteuthis abyssicola
Encyclopedia
Bathyteuthis abyssicola, also known as the Deepsea Squid, is a species of squid
in the family Bathyteuthidae.
Bathyteuthis abyssicola is the type species
of Bathyteuthis
. It is a small, deep maroon-colored squid that inhabits the meso-
and bathypelagic zones of all oceans of the world, and is particularly abundant in the Southern Ocean
where it seems to be the dominant small deep-sea squid. B. abyssicola normally occurs at depths from 700-2000 m, but has been recorded from 100-4200 m.
The arms
of B. abyssicola are short, with blunt tips. Protective membranes are low, fleshy, without free trabeculae (beam- or finger-like protuberances). Suckers are relatively few in number, about 100 on each of the upper six arms (pairs I-III). Sucker rings on the arms have 8-18 separated, bluntly rounded to truncate protuberances. The tentacles and clubs are relatively short. Gill
s are short and narrow.
Squid
Squid are cephalopods of the order Teuthida, which comprises around 300 species. Like all other cephalopods, squid have a distinct head, bilateral symmetry, a mantle, and arms. Squid, like cuttlefish, have eight arms arranged in pairs and two, usually longer, tentacles...
in the family Bathyteuthidae.
Bathyteuthis abyssicola is the type species
Type species
In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...
of Bathyteuthis
Bathyteuthis
Bathyteuthis is the singular genus of squid in the family Bathyteuthidae, encompassing three species. None obtain a mantle length greater than 80 mm....
. It is a small, deep maroon-colored squid that inhabits the meso-
Mesopelagic
The mesopelagic is that part of the pelagic zone that extends from a depth of 200 to 1000 metres below the ocean surface. It lies between the photic epipelagic above and the aphotic bathypelagic below, where there is no light at all...
and bathypelagic zones of all oceans of the world, and is particularly abundant in the Southern Ocean
Southern Ocean
The Southern Ocean comprises the southernmost waters of the World Ocean, generally taken to be south of 60°S latitude and encircling Antarctica. It is usually regarded as the fourth-largest of the five principal oceanic divisions...
where it seems to be the dominant small deep-sea squid. B. abyssicola normally occurs at depths from 700-2000 m, but has been recorded from 100-4200 m.
The arms
Cephalopod arm
A cephalopod arm is distinct from a tentacle, though the terms are often used interchangeably.Generally, cephalopod arms have suckers along most of their length, as opposed to tentacles, which have suckers only near their ends. Octopuses have eight arms and no tentacles, while squid and cuttlefish...
of B. abyssicola are short, with blunt tips. Protective membranes are low, fleshy, without free trabeculae (beam- or finger-like protuberances). Suckers are relatively few in number, about 100 on each of the upper six arms (pairs I-III). Sucker rings on the arms have 8-18 separated, bluntly rounded to truncate protuberances. The tentacles and clubs are relatively short. Gill
Gill
A gill is a respiratory organ found in many aquatic organisms that extracts dissolved oxygen from water, afterward excreting carbon dioxide. The gills of some species such as hermit crabs have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they are kept moist...
s are short and narrow.