Helicocranchia pfefferi
Species of squid
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Helicocranchia pfefferi, the banded piglet squid, is a small squid of the genus Helicocranchia. Adults of this species are mesopelagic.
| Banded piglet squid | |
|---|---|
| |
| Ventral view of a specimen taken off Southern California (41 mm ML) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Cephalopoda |
| Order: | Oegopsida |
| Family: | Cranchiidae |
| Subfamily: | Taoniinae |
| Genus: | Helicocranchia |
| Species: | H. pfefferi |
| Binomial name | |
| Helicocranchia pfefferi | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Helicocranchia beebei Robson, 1948 | |
Physical characteristics
The average size of adult H. pfefferi is 100 mm (3.9 in) in mantle length (ML). The body consists of a large funnel with small paddle-like fins. They have small tentacles above their eyes. The funnel does not have valves, but contains a dorsal pad with three papillae as organs.[citation needed] Paddle-shaped fins are attached to a part of the gladius. H. pfefferi has a single ocular photophore and does not have photophores at its arm tips.
Habitat
H. pfefferi can be found in subtropical areas of the Atlantic Ocean.[3] As paralarvae (<30 mm ML), they live near the surface of the oceans, between 100 m and 200 m deep. They descend to the mesopelagic zone as they mature, but exhibit a diel vertical migration pattern.[4]
Prey
Its diet resembles that of most squid: fish, shrimp, and squid.
