Lampadioteuthis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lampadioteuthis |
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Lampadioteuthis
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megaleia
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The Lampadioteuthis megaleia is a small, colorful squid. It is the only type of squid in its special family, Lampadioteuthidae. People sometimes call it the wonderful firefly squid because of its unique features.
This squid used to be grouped with the Lycoteuthidae family. However, scientists found some key differences. For example, male Lampadioteuthis megaleia have a special arm called a hectocotylus. They also have a hard, internal shell part called a gladius with a pointed tip. These differences made scientists give it its own family.
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What Does the Wonderful Firefly Squid Look Like?
The Lampadioteuthis megaleia is a small squid. It grows to about 40 millimeters (about 1.5 inches) long. This measurement is taken from its mantle, which is the main part of its body.
Special Lights: Photophores
One of the most amazing things about this squid is its lights, called photophores. It has four lights near its eyes. Three of these are in a line on its underside, and one is on the side. Its long tentacles also have five lights each, which sit on a stalk.
The squid has other lights too. There are round lights near its rectum (where waste leaves the body). Single, long lights are found at the base of each gill. There are no lights on its belly. One more light is located at the back of its body, between its outer skin and its internal organs.
Colors and Skin
The Lampadioteuthis megaleia has many working chromatophores. These are special cells that allow the squid to change its color. Its outer skin is covered in a beautiful violet color. This color covers its lights, which helps them blend in with the light from the sun or moon in the ocean.
Where Does This Squid Live?
The Lampadioteuthis megaleia lives in warm ocean waters. You can find it in the subtropical North Atlantic Ocean. This includes areas like the Gulf Stream and the northern Sargasso Sea. It also lives in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.
Specific Locations
The first place this squid was found was near the Kermadec Islands. These islands are in the South Pacific Ocean. In the eastern North Atlantic, it has been seen between the Azores and Spain. It has also been recorded as far south as 25°N latitude. In the western North Atlantic, it has been found as far north as 40°N latitude.
Life in the Ocean: Habitat and Biology
The wonderful firefly squid lives in the upper parts of the ocean. It is found in the mesopelagic zone, which is sometimes called the "twilight zone." It also lives in the epipelagic zone, which is the sunlit surface layer.
How it Uses its Lights
Not much is known about its full life story. However, scientists believe the violet color of its skin helps its lights. This color acts like a filter. It makes the squid's bioluminescence (light it produces) look more like the natural light from the sun or moon. This helps the squid hide from predators or prey. Other squid species, like those in the genus Lycoteuthis, have similar light filters.
Young Squids
Very young squids, called subadults, have been found. They are less than 8 millimeters long. These young squids look a lot like the adults. However, some of their body parts are in different proportions. Also, their lights are smaller, and they only have the large light at the base of each tentacle. The very first stage of their life, called paralarva, floats around in the ocean as planktonic organisms.
