Octopoteuthis deletron | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Mollusca |
Class: | Cephalopoda |
Order: | Oegopsida |
Family: | Octopoteuthidae |
Genus: | Octopoteuthis |
Species: | O. deletron
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Binomial name | |
Octopoteuthis deletron |
Octopoteuthis deletron is a species of squid in the genus Octopoteuthis of the family Octopoteuthidae. They belong to the pelagic squids of order Oegopsida. Found at depths of 400 to 800 m (1,300 to 2,600 ft) in the Pacific Ocean, they have been known to grow to 24 cm (9.4 in).
O. deletron has been found to break off its arms as a defense strategy. The squid digs hooks in one of its arms into a predator and jets away, leaving the arm in the predator's skin.[3]
The male O. deletron has a penis, which is unusual among squids. Males find it difficult to detect the sex of other individuals they encounter in the dark depths, so they have adopted a strategy of attaching sperm packets to all individuals they meet.[4]
O. deletron are the most common species found in the stomachs of northern elephant seals sampled off the coast of California.[5] It is an important prey item of the giant grenadier.[6] It is also eaten by the enigmatic Perrin's beaked whale (Mesoplodon perrini).[3]