Overview
Brief Summary
Introduction
Teuthowenia pellucida is a rather small squid that reaches a maximum size of about 200 mm ML. It occurs only in the southern hemisphere. Its systematics, biogeography and various aspects of its biology have been treated in detail by Voss (1985).
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Comprehensive Description
Characteristics
- Mantle
- Multipoint tubercle (2-4 points, occasionally 1-5 points) at each funnel-mantle fusion.
Figure. Ventral view of tubercles at the funnel-mantle fusion of T. pellucida, subadult female, 140 mm GL. Drawing from Voss, 1985.
- Multipoint tubercle (2-4 points, occasionally 1-5 points) at each funnel-mantle fusion.
- Arms
- Arms I of males with 2-3 series of suckers on modified tips.
- Arms II of males with 3-4 series of suckers on modified tips.
Figure. Oral view of the entire arm II of a mature male of T. pellucida, 201 mm GL, with the distal third and proximal sixth modified. Drawing from Voss, 1985
- Arms I and II of males with 11-18 normal suckers in midportion of arm, proximal to modified ends but distal to modified basal suckers.
- Diameter of largest arm III suckers 2.5 times basal suckers (about 2.0-2.2% of GL in diameter).
- Tentacles
- Largest club suckers with 26-32 teeth.
Figure. Largest sucker from manus of club of T. pellucida, female, 143 mm GL. Drawing from Voss, 1985.
- Largest club suckers with 26-32 teeth.
Comments
More details of the description of T. pellucida can be found here.
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Distribution
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UNESCO-IOC Register of Marine Organisms
http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=sourcedetails&id=1318
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Gordon, D. (Ed.) (2009). New Zealand Inventory of Biodiversity. Volume One: Kingdom Animalia. 584 pp
http://www.marinespecies.org/porifera/porifera.php?p=sourcedetails&id=145244
© WoRMS for SMEBD
Source:
World Register of Marine Species
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Vertical distribution
Immature squid have been taken mostly in the upper 900 m of the water column while mature squid have been taken from depths of 1600 - 2400 m (Voss, 1985).
Geographical distribution
T. pellucida is found in a narrow circumglobal band in the region of the Southern Subtropical convergence about 40° S. lat.; this area is thought to be a distinct zoogeographical region (Voss, 1985).
Geographical distribution map modified from Voss, 1985.
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Ecology
Habitat
Water temperature and chemistry ranges based on 30 samples.
Environmental ranges
Depth range (m): 2.5 - 2400
Temperature range (°C): 2.164 - 17.490
Nitrate (umol/L): 1.608 - 38.553
Salinity (PPS): 34.401 - 35.354
Oxygen (ml/l): 3.240 - 5.708
Phosphate (umol/l): 0.272 - 2.832
Silicate (umol/l): 1.632 - 117.845
Graphical representation
Depth range (m): 2.5 - 2400
Temperature range (°C): 2.164 - 17.490
Nitrate (umol/L): 1.608 - 38.553
Salinity (PPS): 34.401 - 35.354
Oxygen (ml/l): 3.240 - 5.708
Phosphate (umol/l): 0.272 - 2.832
Silicate (umol/l): 1.632 - 117.845
Note: this information has not been validated. Check this *note*. Your feedback is most welcome.
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Life History and Behavior
Life Cycle
Life history
Growth stages of T. pellucida.
Figure. A - 7 mm ML. B - 10 mm ML. C - 27 mm ML. D - 57 mm ML. E - 85 mm GL. F - Tentacle of 10 mm ML squid. Note that the club and stalk suckers are separated where a slight decrease in sucker size occurs. Superficially the tentacle appears to be an elongate club. This is an important feature in distinguishing Teuthowenia paralarvae from those of other cranchiid genera.
Mature females of T. pellucida (from Voss, 1995). Females mature between about 150 and 190 mm ML. At maturity the female undergoes marked morphological changes. The musculature becomes flaccid, the body is distended with mature eggs, photophores develop on the arm tips and glandular organs develop in the dorsal midline.The largest female measured by Voss was 201 mm ML. Mature females have nearly spherical eggs of 2.2 mm diameter. A single female carries about 6,000 - 8,000 eggs.
Figure. View of dorsal mantle of T. pellucida showing glandular organs on midline, mature female, 201 mm GL. Drawing modified from Voss, 1985.
The series of small, glandular organs lies dorsal to the gladius at the anterior end of the mantle. The chambers of each organ open to the exterior via a hollow papilla. The function of these organs is unknown although Voss suggests that they secrete pheromones to attract males. Nearby spermatangia are commonly found embedded in the mantle tissue. This suggests another possible function for these organs: they may be seminal vesicles that store sperm derived from the spermatangia.
Mature females commonly have suckers encysted within tissues in the mantle cavity. Voss suggests that the suckers are lost from arms inserted into the mantle cavity by the male during mating behavior since the dentition of the two is identical. The photophores on the tips of arms IV (and probably the other arms but none of these have been seen intact) may function to attract males. Voss found pieces of body parts of T. pellucida in the stomachs of two mature females but refrained from concluding that cannabalism occurred during mating. The muscular deterioration, the near-absence of developing oocytes in mature females and possible cannabalism during mating suggests that the females are semelparous.
Males mature near 140 mm ML. Mature males have a long penis that extends well beyond the opening to the mantle cavity. At maturity the modified tips of arms I and II elongate. The finely-toothed suckers from these tips are commonly missing, presumably lost within the mantle cavity of some female. Also, at maturity the basal arm suckers become modified and the arms become more robust.
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Molecular Biology and Genetics
Molecular Biology
Statistics of barcoding coverage: Teuthowenia pellucida
Public Records: 0
Specimens with Barcodes: 1
Species With Barcodes: 1
© Barcode of Life Data Systems
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Wikipedia
Googly-eyed Glass Squid
The googly-eyed glass squid (Teuthowenia pellucida) is a rare deep-sea glass squid whose habitat ranges throughout the oceans of the southern hemisphere.[1]
Contents |
Characteristics
The googly-eyed glass squid is a blue, transparent organism with a body size of approximately 200 mm (7.9 in.) and notably large eyes. Mantle thickness is only a few millimeters. Females are slightly larger than males. The squid has eight short tentacles and a slightly longer pair at the end of its rather swollen body. The only visible internal organ is the digestive gland, similar to the liver of a chordate. As a defense, the squid is able to engorge itself with surrounding water to dramatically increase in size, appearing more intimidating. The squid is also able to escape predators using jet propulsion.
Habitat
Googly-eyed glass squid live consistently along the circumglobal 40° southern parallel, in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. Immature googly-eyed glass squid are usually found at depths of around 900 m (2,953 ft). Mature squid exist at depths of between 1,600 and 2,400 m (5,249-7,874 ft).
Growth and development
Eggs are laid in clusters attached to rocks and plants on the ocean floor. Newly hatched squid develop rapidly into paralarvae. Female squid mature between 150 and 190 mm; males mature at 140 mm. Pregnant females carry between 6,000 and 8,000 eggs with diameters of 2.2 mm. These eggs are often visible through the squid's thin mantle.
Bioluminescence
The cells of a googly-eyed glass squid's eyes and tentacles form small, bioluminescent organs called photophores. These organs release light, making the organism distinguishable among the darkness of the bathyal zone. The use of bioluminescence requires energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
In popular culture
The googly-eyed glass squid was mentioned in Clair Nouvian's The Deep.[2]
See also
References
Source:
Wikipedia
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