| Teuthowenia | |
|---|---|
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| Teuthowenia megalops | |
Scientific classification  | |
| 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
- ^ Julian Finn (2016). "Teuthowenia Chun, 1910". World Register of Marine Species. Flanders Marine Institute. 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.
- ^ Nancy A. Voss (1985). "Systematics, biology and biogeography of the cranchiid cephalopod genus Teuthowenia (Oegopsida)". Bulletin of Marine Science. 36 (1): 1–85.