''Joubiniteuthis portieri'', also known as Joubin's squid from the

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unisp ...

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Joubiniteuthidae and genus ''Joubiniteuthis''. It is a rare, small

squid A squid (: squid) is a mollusc with an elongated soft body, large eyes, eight cephalopod limb, arms, and two tentacles in the orders Myopsida, Oegopsida, and Bathyteuthida (though many other molluscs within the broader Neocoleoidea are also ...

which occurs in the

mesopelagic The mesopelagic zone (Greek language, Greek μέσον, middle), also known as the middle pelagic or twilight zone, is the part of the pelagic zone that lies between the photic epipelagic and the aphotic bathypelagic zones. It is defined by light ...

bathypelagic The bathypelagic zone or bathyal zone (from Greek βαθύς (bathýs), deep) is the part of the open ocean that extends from a depth of below the ocean surface. It lies between the mesopelagic above and the abyssopelagic below. The bathypela ...

zones and which has a worldwide distribution in tropical and subtropical regions. It is a distinctive squid having long

arm In human anatomy, the arm refers to the upper limb in common usage, although academically the term specifically means the upper arm between the glenohumeral joint (shoulder joint) and the elbow joint. The distal part of the upper limb between ...

s I-III which have numerous small suckers in six rows. Its biology is little known. It is thought that it stays in the depths of the ocean with its arms outstretched, waiting for small animals to ensnare after they have accidentally swum into the arms. This species is named after

Louis Joubin Louis Marie Adolphe Olivier Édouard Joubin (27 February 1861 in Épinal – 24 April 1935 in Paris) was a professor at the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle in Paris. He published works on nemerteans, chaetognatha, cephalopods, and other m ...

, a French

zoologist Zoology ( , ) is the scientific study of animals. Its studies include the structure, embryology, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct, and how they interact with their ecosystems. Zoology is one ...

. It is known to reach a mantle length of . It is the closest relative of the bizarre, famous

bigfin squid Bigfin squids are a group of rarely seen cephalopods with a distinctive Morphology (biology), morphology. They are placed in the genus ''Magnapinna'' and family (biology), family Magnapinnidae. Although the family was described only from larva ...

s (genus ''Magnapinna''). The Joubin's squid has been sighted most recently by

Schmidt Ocean Institute Schmidt Ocean Institute (SOI) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit operating foundation established in March 2009 by Eric Schmidt and Wendy Schmidt. The Institute's goal is to advance innovative oceanographic research and discovery through technological adv ...

, but was first found at the northwest Hawaiian islands on a 2003

NOAA The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA ) is an American scientific and regulatory agency charged with forecasting weather, monitoring oceanic and atmospheric conditions, charting the seas, conducting deep-sea exploratio ...

(National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration) expedition which was first believed to be one of if not the best pieces of footage of the squid in its natural habitat.

References

External links

Tree of Life web project: ''Joubiniteuthis portieri''
Chiroteuthoidea Monotypic cephalopod genera {{squid-stub