Selenoteuthis scintillans

G. Voss, 1958

Fin in larvae tongue-like or oval, in adults broadly diamond-shaped, not reaching midpoint of mantle. Mantle not tapering into tail. All arms approximately equal in length.
Photophores: 5 in one row on ventral side of eyeball, central one largest; one large, globular on ends of 2nd and 3rd arms (only in adult males); 2 on tentacular stem (at base of tentacle and at base of club); 10 in mantle cavity on internal organs, 2 near rectum, 5 at level of branchial hearts (3 large along midline, 2 smaller at sides); 3 closely spaced, but not merged, in caudal part of mantle cavity; one large, globular on caudal end of mantle (developed at ML >5 mm).
In early larvae only central eye photophore is developed, then three, also a photophore at base of club; later 4 photophores in mantle cavity, but all visceral photophores present only at ML approx. 9 mm. Small species, ML up to 4.5 cm.

A nerito-oceanic (?) species, distributed in the equatorial and western part of central water masses, or bi-centrally. Ascends at night to epipelagic layers.

%LABEL% (%SOURCE%)