Teuthowenia

Teuthowenia
Teuthowenia megalops
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Cephalopoda
Order: Oegopsida
Family: Cranchiidae
Subfamily: Taoniinae
Genus: Teuthowenia
Chun, 1910[1]
Type species
Cranchia (Owenia) megalops
Prosch, 1849
Species

See text.

Teuthowenia is a genus of glass squid in the subfamily Taoniinae. Members of this genus are characterized by their deep-sea habitat, clear bodies, and ability to engorge themselves with water to become larger when threatened. Each known species has a visible digestive gland, which serves a similar purpose as a stomach and liver.

The genus contains bioluminescent species.[2]

It includes three species:[3]

  • Teuthowenia maculata (Leach, 1817) - found in the tropical waters of the eastern Atlantic Ocean.
  • Teuthowenia megalops (Prosch, 1849) - found in the subarctic, temperate, and (rarely) subtropical waters of the northern Atlantic Ocean.
  • Teuthowenia pellucida (Chun, 1910) - found throughout the oceans of the southern hemisphere.

References

  1. ^ Julian Finn (2016). "Teuthowenia Chun, 1910". World Register of Marine Species. Flanders Marine Institute. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  2. ^ Herring, Peter J. (1987). "Systematic distribution of bioluminescence in living organisms". Journal of Bioluminescence and Chemiluminescence. 1 (3): 147–163. doi:10.1002/bio.1170010303. PMID 3503524.
  3. ^ Nancy A. Voss (1985). "Systematics, biology and biogeography of the cranchiid cephalopod genus Teuthowenia (Oegopsida)". Bulletin of Marine Science. 36 (1): 1–85.
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