Spirula spirula
Ram's Horn Squid
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Mollusca
Class
Cephalopoda
Order
Spirulida
Family
Spirulidae
Genus
Spirula
Species
Spirula spirula
Distinguishing features
They have 8 arms and two longer tentacles.
The skin is reddish-brown and smooth. Members of the genus Spirula have a large bioluminescent light organ at the posterior of the mantle which is surrounded by two small, round fins. (Animal Diversity)
Size
- From 3 cm to 4.5 cm (Length of specimen) - applies to Adults
Depth range
- From 100 m to 1000 m - applies to 100m to 300m at nighttime and 500m to 1000m during the daytime.
Synonyms
Distribution
©Atlas of Living Australia: Australian distribution
Distribution and habitat preferences
Knowledge of their distribution is limited but they are typically found in tropical waters, including the waters off the coasts of Indonesia, New Zealand, south Africa, northwestern Africa, the Canary Islands, and in the Gulf of Mexico. (Animal Diversity)
Diet
They hunt nocturnally, probably consuming small fish and crustaceans (Animal Diversity).
