''Mastigoteuthis psychrophila'' is a species of

whip-lash squid The Mastigoteuthidae, also known as whip-lash squid, are a family of small deep-sea squid. Approximately 20 known species in six genera are represented, with members found in both the pelagic zone, mesopelagic and Bathypelagic zone, bathypelagic z ...

. It was first described by

Kir Nazimovich Nesis Kir Nazimovich Nesis (9 January 1934 – 8 January 2003) was a Russian marine biologist and malacologist, specialising in cephalopods. Early life and education Nesis was born in Moscow on 9 January 1934 to an intellectual family, his father was an ...

in 1977, based on four individuals found in

Antarctic The Antarctic (, ; commonly ) is the polar regions of Earth, polar region of Earth that surrounds the South Pole, lying within the Antarctic Circle. It is antipodes, diametrically opposite of the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antar ...

waters. The largest was 143 mm long. The squid's

tentacle In zoology, a tentacle is a flexible, mobile, and elongated organ present in some species of animals, most of them invertebrates. In animal anatomy, tentacles usually occur in one or more pairs. Anatomically, the tentacles of animals work main ...

s are 15 mm in diameter, with 0.15 mm diameter club suckers. Integumental

photophore A photophore is a specialized anatomical structure found in a variety of organisms that emits light through the process of boluminescence. This light may be produced endogenously by the organism itself (symbiotic) or generated through a mut ...

s are present upon the head,

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 and

fin A fin is a thin component or appendage attached to a larger body or structure. Fins typically function as foils that produce lift or thrust, or provide the ability to steer or stabilize motion while traveling in water, air, or other fluids. F ...

s. Although uncertain, it is believed to have more than two series of photophores on the arms, differing from other species in the '' M. agassizii'' group. However, this species, like the rest of the family, is badly in need of revision.

References

*Nesis, K.N. 1977. ''Mastigoteuthis psychrophila'' sp. n. (Cephalopoda, Mastigoteuthidae) from the Southern Ocean. ''Zoologichesky Zhurnal'' 65(6): 835-842.
Tree of Life web project: ''Mastigoteuthis psychrophila''
;Specific

External links

Mastigoteuthis Fauna of Antarctica Cephalopods described in 1977 {{squid-stub