Sharpear enope squid | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Mollusca |
Class: | Cephalopoda |
Order: | Oegopsida |
Superfamily: | Enoploteuthoidea |
Family: | Ancistrocheiridae Pfeffer, 1912 |
Genus: | Ancistrocheirus Gray, 1849 |
Species: | A. lesueurii
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Binomial name | |
Ancistrocheirus lesueurii | |
Synonyms[2] | |
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Ancistrocheirus lesueurii, the sharpear enope squid, is the only species in the genus Ancistrocheirus and family Ancistrocheiridae. With a mantle length of 25 cm (9.8 in), this moderately sized squid may be found throughout the tropical and subtropical oceans. They tend to be found at mesopelagic depths (200–1,000 m (660–3,280 ft) down).
Although only one species is recognized, some have suggested more than one species may exist due to differences in the paralarval morphology. Paralarva is the first free-living stage for cephalopods.