Teuthowenia Explained

Teuthowenia is a genus of glass squid in the subfamily Taoniinae. Members of this genus are characterized by their deep-sea habitat, clear bodies, and ability to engorge themselves with water to become larger when threatened. Each known species has a visible digestive gland, which serves a similar purpose as a stomach and liver.

The genus contains bioluminescent species.^[1]

It includes three species:^[2]

• Teuthowenia maculata (Leach, 1817) - found in the tropical waters of the eastern Atlantic Ocean.
• Teuthowenia megalops (Prosch, 1849) - found in the subarctic, temperate, and (rarely) subtropical waters of the northern Atlantic Ocean.
• Teuthowenia pellucida (Chun, 1910) - found throughout the oceans of the southern hemisphere.

External links

• Tree of Life web project: Teuthowenia

Notes and References

1. Herring . Peter J. . Systematic distribution of bioluminescence in living organisms . Journal of Bioluminescence and Chemiluminescence . 1987 . 3. 1 . 147–163. 10.1002/bio.1170010303 . 3503524 .
2. Nancy A. Voss. 1985. Systematics, biology and biogeography of the cranchiid cephalopod genus Teuthowenia (Oegopsida). Bulletin of Marine Science. 36. 1. 1 - 85.