Stauroteuthis

Stauroteuthis is a genus of deepwater octopus, a cephalopod mollusk. This is the only genus in the family Stauroteuthidae, and only two species have been described in this genus.

Stauroteuthis
Stauroteuthis syrtensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Cephalopoda
Order: Octopoda
Family: Stauroteuthidae
Grimpe, 1916
Genus: Stauroteuthis
Verrill, 1879
Species
Synonyms

Chunioteuthis Grimpe, 1916

The organisms live below 700 m (2,300 ft) water depth; although sometimes found as deep as 4 km (2.5 mi) underwater, they generally live at a water depth of around 2 km (1.2 mi).[1] They do not possess a radula.[1]

The stauroteuthids have the distinction of being one of the few bioluminescent octopuses; some of the muscle cells that control the suckers in most species have been replaced with photophores which are believed to fool prey by directing them towards the mouth.[2]

Species

References
  1. Collins, M. A.; Henriques, C. (August 2000). "A revision of the family Stauroteuthidae (Octopoda: Cirrata) with redescriptions of Stauroteuthis syrtensis and S. gilchristi". Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the UK. 80 (4): 685. doi:10.1017/S0025315400002514.
  2. Johnsen, S.; E.J. Balser; E.C. Fisher; E.A. Widder (1999). "Bioluminescence in the deep-sea cirrate octopod Stauroteuthis syrtensis Verrill (Mollusca: Cephalopoda)" (PDF). The Biological Bulletin. 197 (1): 26–39. doi:10.2307/1542994. PMID 28296499. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-03-05.
  3. Stauroteuthis gilchristi. Tree of Life web project.
  4. Stauroteuthis syrtensis. Tree of Life web project.
  5. Stauroteuthis syrtensis Verrill, 1879. Encyclopedia of Life.


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