Creature 224: Helicocranchia pfefferi

Not a real face

Description:
I'll let you guess what type of creature Helicocranchia pfefferi  is from this picture:

Done looking? This is an unusual species of squid called a banded piglet squid. It looks a bit like an animal with a cartoon face, but that is not a face at all. Its tentacles look like hair while colour patterns form what looks like eyes and a mouth an a fin like flap forms what looks like a nose. Like many deep sea creatures it can produce light. The young quite a bit different to the adults.

Distribution:
The piglet squid can be found in trapical waters all over the world and in the temperate North Atlantic. They lusually live between 100 and 200 m below the surface getting deeper as they get older.

Classification:
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Mollusca
Class:Cephalopoda
Order:Teuthida
Family:Cranchiidae
Genus:Helicocranchia
Species:Helicocranchia pfefferi

Image Links:
http://www.haberler.com/gulen-yuzlu-domuz-murekkepbaligi-haberi/
https://ferrebeekeeper.wordpress.com/tag/pelagic/

Creature 106: Wunderpus photogenicus

Just a Bizarre looking Octopus

Description:
The Wunderpus photogenicus is a very photogenic octopus which goes by the common name of wonderpus. It is moat notable for its amazing coloration patterns.

The pattern of distinct white markings are unique to each individual, a bit like a fingerprint. I can't find any information on weather they are capable of recognizing each other. Apart from its bizarre coloration and cool name it is not that unusual for an octopus.

Distribution:
The wonderpus is found near the coastline of the South East Asian Islands in the Java and Sulu seas, extending into the Melanesian region.

Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollucsa
Class: Cephalopoda
Order: Octopoda
Family: Octopodidae
Genus: Wunderpus 
Species: Wunderpus photogenicus

Image links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wunderpus_photogenicus#mediaviewer/File:Wonder_octopus.jpg
http://www.fompy.net/fompy/2005/11/outrageous_octo.html

Creature 82: Vampyroteuthis infernalis

The vampire squid from hell.

Description:
Vampyroteuthis infernalis may sound like a scary name, because it is supposed to be. The generic name is a combination of the word Vampire and Teuthis (Greek for squid). The specific epithet infernalis can mean hell in Latin. The common name for this beast is the Vampire squid. It is not an enormously large squid, achieving lengths of up to 30 cm long, but this animals most sticking feature is the webbing between its tentacles. Like vampires they are afraid of sunlight and forcing them to live at ocean depths to which the light cannot reach. Like many other squid they can change the color of their skin, although they have a very limited range, between light red and dark reddish black. Their eyes usually appear reddish. Their tentacles carry multiple fang like barbs which are used for capturing their prey and at the base of the mantle they have a powerful beak. Their barbs, coloration and cape like webbing between their tentacles do give them an unusual vampiric appearance.

They propel themselves with the two fins attached to their mantle. Their skin is covered in light producing cells which are used to confuse and disorient other animals at the depths of the ocean. This is probably used mostly against predators. Not much is known about their diet but we don't think they suck blood.

Distribution:
Vampire squids live at depths of 600- 1500m under the surface of the ocean and they prefer warmer waters.

Classification:
The Vampire squid is the last surviving member of the order Vampyromorphida. There are many extinct families and genera in this order in the fossil record.
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Cephalopoda
Order: Vampyromorphida
Family: Vampyroteuthidae
Genus: Vampyroteuthis
Species: Vampyroteuthis infernalis

Image Link:
https://alm7.wikispaces.com/Vampire+Squid
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2012/09/25/the-vampire-squid-is-a-garbage-eater-that-collects-raining-rubbish-with-living-fishing-lines/#.VJYpsULYQA

Creature 48: Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni

A real life sea monster

Description:
Cartographers used to write there be monsters on the uncharted areas on the edges of the maps. Today's uncharted territory is the depths of the ocean in which it can truely be said there be monsters. No creature confirms this more than Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni commonly known as the colossal squid. This giant beast is often referred to as the giant squid, but as this is also the common name of the genus Architeuthis, it is probably better to avoid this name.

The largest of all squid (at least by weight) is the colossal squid and its size makes it the stuff of maritime legends. Remains of these beasts may have inspired some of the myths of sea monsters which sailors have been embellishing for centuries.  It is the largest animal in the world outside of the vertebrates, measuring at an estimated maximum size of 14 meters long you would think this deep sea monstrosity would be hard to miss.

 As it  turns out, this is not so. The first live specimen to be observed was captured in 2005 despite sporadic confirmed instances of remains being found in the 100 years before. Since then, deep ocean exploration has turned up two more confirmed sightings. The colossal squids tentacles a covered in suction pads as well as hardened hooks which can swivel, presumable for preventing its prey from escaping.

Distribution:
The colossal squid is found in the depths of the southern oceans. Not enough information is available to give an accurate approximation of its most common depths.

Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Cephalopoda
Order: Teuthida
Family: Cranchiidae
Subfamily: Taoniinae
Genus: Mesonychoteuthis
Species: Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni

Image Links:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_squid#mediaviewer/File:20000_squid_holding_sailor.jpg
http://animania-daily.livejournal.com/15570.html#

Creature 15: Grimpoteuthis

Dumbo the elephant in Octopus form

Description:

Another creature which just looks weird today, Grimpoteuthis or the Dumbo Octapus. Grimpoteuthis is a genus of 14 described species of deep ocean Octopi (I refuse to use Octopuses no matter how grammatically acceptable it has become).  

Not much is known about these unusual creatures as with many animals from the deep ocean. The common name comes from dumbo the flying elephant, the Disney character, for reasons which will become obvious once you have seen this clip:

The fin like flaps growing out of their mantle are used for swimming.

Distribution:

Dumbo Octopi are known from the Pacific ocean and are found in the Bathyalpelagic and Abyssopelagic
zones.

Classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca

Class: Cephalopoda
Order: Octopoda
Family: Opisthoteuthidae
Genus: Grimpoteuthis

Image Links

http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/onlinelearningcenter/species/dumbo_octopus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grimpoteuthis#mediaviewer/File:Grimpoteuthis_discoveryi.jpg

Video Links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDxBVZhZZwI