''Joubiniteuthis portieri'', also known as Joubin's squid from the

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispe ...

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Joubiniteuthidae and genus ''Joubiniteuthis''. It is a rare, small squid which occurs in the

mesopelagic The mesopelagic zone (Greek μέσον, middle), also known as the middle pelagic or twilight zone, is the part of the pelagic zone that lies between the photic epipelagic and the aphotic bathypelagic zones. It is defined by light, and begins at ...

to bathypelagic zones and which has a worldwide distribution in tropical and subtropical regions. It is a distinctive squid having long

arm In human anatomy, the arm refers to the upper limb in common usage, although academically the term specifically means the upper arm between the glenohumeral joint (shoulder joint) and the elbow joint. The distal part of the upper limb between th ...

s I-III which have numerous small suckers in six rows. Its biology is little known and it is thought that it stays in the depths of the ocean with its arms outstretched waiting for small animals to ensnare after they have accidentally swum into the arms. This species is named after

Louis Joubin Louis Marie Adolphe Olivier Édouard Joubin (27 February 1861 in Épinal – 24 April 1935 in Paris) was a professor at the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle in Paris. He published works on nemerteans, chaetognatha, cephalopods, and other ...

, a French

zoologist Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and d ...

. It is known to reach a mantle length of 9 cm.

References

External links

Tree of Life web project: ''Joubiniteuthis portieri''
Squid Molluscs described in 1916 {{squid-stub