Octosquid

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Octosquid
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Cephalopoda
Subclass: Coleoidea
Order: Teuthida
Suborder: Oegopsina
Family: Mastigoteuthidae
Genus: ?Mastigoteuthis

Octosquid is the name given to what appears to be a new species of the genus Mastigoteuthis which was discovered at a depth of 3,000 feet (910 m) off the Hawaiian Islands in the summer of 2007. On June 12, 2007, the creature was identified as an unnamed species of squid.[1]

The animal was caught in a filter placed in one of the deep-sea pipelines of the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority. The ruby red creature was about a foot long, with white suction cups on its arms. The animal died three days after it was brought to the surface.

The specimen was originally dubbed "Octosquid" by NELHA operations manager Jan War, a reference to the fact that the specimen had only eight arms, like an octopus, rather than the eight arms and two tentacles of most squid. An examination of the specimen conducted by Professor Richard Young of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, however, concluded that it is in fact a previously known but as-yet unnamed species of the genus Mastigoteuthis. The specimen was likely missing its tentacles due to them being torn off during capture.[1]

See also

  • Vampire squid (Vampyroteuthis infernalis), another cephalopod sharing squid and octopus qualities
  • Dana octopus squid (Taningia danae), an example of the Octopoteuthidae family, also with eight arms and no tentacles, not closely related to the "octosquid"

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "'Octosquid' Not So Mysterious". Retrieved 2007-07-13. 
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