| Helicocranchia | |
|---|---|
) | |
| Helicocranchia pfefferi | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Cephalopoda |
| Order: | Oegopsida |
| Family: | Cranchiidae |
| Subfamily: | Taoniinae |
| Genus: | Helicocranchia Massy, 1907[1] |
| Type species | |
| Helicocranchia pfefferi Massy, 1907 | |
| Species | |
| see text | |
| Synonyms | |
| Ascocranchia Voss, 1962 | |
Helicocranchia is a genus of small glass squids from the family Cranchiidae, known as piglet squid. They are characterized by possessing a very large funnel and in having a pair of small paddle-like fins which are attached to a part of the gladius which sits above the muscular mantle. These squid undergo a slow descent starting near the surface as paralarvae moving down to lower mesopelagic depths as near-adults.[2]
The genus contains bioluminescent species.[3]
Species
There are three species of Helicocranchia:[1]
- Helicocranchia joubini (Voss, 1962)
- Helicocranchia papillata (Voss, 1960)
- Helicocranchia pfefferi Massy, 1907
References
- ^ a b Julian Finn (2016). "Helicocranchia Massy, 1907". World Register of Marine Species. Flanders Marine Institute. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
- ^ Richard E. Young; Katharina M. Mangold (1922-2003) (2017). "Helicocranchia Massy, 1907". The Tree of Life Web Project. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
- ^ 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.