Iridoteuthis iris explained

Iridoteuthis iris is a species of bobtail squid native to the northern central Pacific Ocean; it occurs near the Hawaiian Islands off the southeast and northwest Hancock, Colahan, and Kammu seamounts. There exists a doubtful record from the Ceram Sea. Unlike most other bobtail squid, I. iris is pelagic and lives in the open ocean.^{[1] [2]}

Females of this species grow to 28 mm in mantle length (ML), while males are not known to exceed 24 mm ML.

The type specimen was collected off the south coast of Molokai in Hawaii. It was originally deposited at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., but is no longer extant.^[3]

Notes and References

1. Reid, A. & P. Jereb 2005. Family Sepiolidae. In: P. Jereb & C.F.E. Roper, eds. Cephalopods of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of species known to date. Volume 1. Chambered nautiluses and sepioids (Nautilidae, Sepiidae, Sepiolidae, Sepiadariidae, Idiosepiidae and Spirulidae). FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes. No. 4, Vol. 1. Rome, FAO. pp. 153–203.
2. Harman, R.F. & M.P. Seki 1990. Iridioteuthis iris (Cephalopoda: Sepiolidae): new records from the central north Pacific and first description of adults. Pacific Science 44(2): 171-179.
3. http://www.mnh.si.edu/cephs/newclass.pdf Current Classification of Recent Cephalopoda