Family Pyroteuthidae - fire squids

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Cephalopoda
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  Environment
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Fresh : No | Brackish : No | Marine : Yes
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Funnel-mantle locking apparatus a simple, straight groove and ridge. Arms and tentacles with suckers and/or hooks arranged in 2 rows. Tentacular clubs without hooks. Large light organs on eye balls and viscera; no light organs on head, arms and mantle. Most easily recognized by the sharply pointed "tail" and fins that are separate, each with a nearly circular outline. They also have large buccal membranes with unusual attachments to the 4 dorsal arms. Peculiar tentacular bases have a permanent bend that presumably increase the degree of retrac tion (i.e. shortening) of the tentacles. Small, muscular squids that occur in mesopelagic depths during the day and migrate into near-surface waters (0 to 200 m) at night. Among the more common squids in the midwaters of the open ocean. Where known, pyroteuthids feed on copepods and other small crustacea. Presumably, short-lived species. Mating and spawning have never been observed in members of this family. All members, however, have a specialized pouch located dorsal to the digestive gland and opening between the stellate ganglia. Spermatangia (discharged spermatophores) are commonly found attached to the opening of this pouch (Ref. 104052).
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Ref.
[ e.g. 9948]                       
Glossary
                    [ e.g. cephalopods]