''Bathyteuthis abyssicola'', also known as the deepsea squid, is a species of squid in the family Bathyteuthidae. ''Bathyteuthis abyssicola'' is the

type species In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specime ...

of ''

Bathyteuthis ''Bathyteuthis'' is the singular genus of squid in the family Bathyteuthidae, encompassing three species. ''Bathyteuthis'' species are found scattered throughout the world’s oceans at mesopelagic to bathypelagic depths, commonly between 700 ...

''. It is a small (less than 8 cm mantle length), deep maroon-colored squid that inhabits the

meso- A meso compound or meso isomer is a non-optically active member of a set of stereoisomers, at least two of which are optically active. This means that despite containing two or more stereocenters, the molecule is not chiral. A meso compound is "sup ...

and bathypelagic zones of all oceans of the world, and is particularly abundant in the

Southern Ocean The Southern Ocean, also known as the Antarctic Ocean, comprises the southernmost waters of the World Ocean, generally taken to be south of 60° S latitude and encircling Antarctica. With a size of , it is regarded as the second-small ...

where it seems to be the dominant small deep-sea squid. ''B. abyssicola'' normally occurs at depths from , but has been recorded from . The

arms Arms or ARMS may refer to: *Arm or arms, the upper limbs of the body Arm, Arms, or ARMS may also refer to: People * Ida A. T. Arms (1856–1931), American missionary-educator, temperance leader Coat of arms or weapons *Armaments or weapons **Fi ...

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 A gill () is a respiratory organ that many aquatic organisms use to extract dissolved oxygen from water and to excrete carbon dioxide. The gills of some species, such as hermit crabs, have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they are ...

s are short and narrow. They have large photosensitive

vesicles Vesicle may refer to: ; In cellular biology or chemistry * Vesicle (biology and chemistry), a supramolecular assembly of lipid molecules, like a cell membrane * Synaptic vesicle ; In human embryology * Vesicle (embryology), bulge-like features o ...

just behind the eyes which appear to detect bioluminescence. These photosensitive vesicles are among the largest known in any cephalopod. Bathyteuthis abyssicola from Ross Sea

References

External links

Tree of Life web project: ''Bathyteuthis abyssicola''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2546163 Squid Molluscs described in 1885 Taxa named by William Evans Hoyle