Squids in this family are small, between 3 and 13 cm in mantle length. All open-ocean species occupy upper mesopelagic waters. In the regions where the mesopelagic zone intersects the slopes of land masses (i.e., the mesopelagic boundary zone) some species may occur at shallower depths. Many species are known to undertake extensive daily vertical migrations and this habit may be characteristic of all species in the family. The species are noted for their colorful array of photophores, distributed primarily over the ventral surfaces of the head, arms, funnel and mantle.
From Young et al. (1998):
Tentacles: Manus with armature in two or three series (including one or two hook series)
Arms: Hooks present on all arms
Photophores: Present on mantle, funnel, head, eyeballs (in single line; anterior and posterior-most photophores generally largest); absent from tentacles, viscera and most of fins
Mantle apex ("tail"): Broad, extending well beyond conus of gladius; vesicles present
[Phylogenetic tree with branches showing direct descendants of this group will show here]A list of all nominal genera and species in the Enoploteuthidae can be found here[currently links back to ToLweb but the ‘Taxa Associated With… ‘ pages will also migrate to CephRef in future]. The list includes the current status and type species of all genera, and the current status, type repository and type locality of all species and all pertinent references.Four genera are presently recognised: Abralia, Abraliopsis, Enoploteuthis, and Watasenia.
Enoploteuthis
Abralia
Abraliopsis
Watasenia
Thick tail extends beyond posterior end of fins
Yes
No
No
No
Number of hook series on tentacle clubs
2
1
2
1
Tips of Arms IV with large, spherical photophores covered with black chromatophores
No
No
Yes
Yes
Hectocotylus
Right Arm IV
Left or right Arm IV
Right Arm IV
Right Arm IV
Arms with distal suckers
Arms I-IV
Arms I-IV
Arms I-III
Arms I-III
Pigmentation of buccal membrane oral surface
Primarily in chromatophores
In chromatophores
In epithelium
In epithelium
Habitat
Tropical/temperate waters worldwide
Tropical/temperate waters worldwide
Tropical/temperate waters worldwide
Temperate waters of northwest Pacific
Young and Bennett (1988) found strong similarities in photophore structure between Watasenia and Abraliopsis and between Abralia and Enoploteuthis. They did not, however, distinguish between plesiomorphic and apomorphic characters. Relationships, therefore, remain uncertain although the similarity between Watasenia and Abraliopsis is supported by the shared photophores that are covered by black chromatophores at the tips of arms IV.
Young, R. E.; Bennett, T. M. 1988. Photophore structure and evolution within the Enoploteuthidae (Cephalopoda). P. 241-251. In: M. R. Clarke and E. R. Trueman (Eds.). The Mollusca. Vol. 12 Paleontology and Neotology of Cephalopods. Academic Press, N.Y., 355pp.
Young, R. E.; Harman R. 1985. Early life history stages of enoploteuthin squid (Cephalopoda: Teuthoidea: Enoploteuthidae) from Hawaiian waters. Vie et Milieu 35: 181-201.
Young, R. E., Burgess, L. A., Roper, C. F. E., Sweeney, M. J., Stephen, S. J. 1998. Classification of the Enoploteuthidae, Pyroteuthidae and Ancistrocheiridae. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 586: 239-256.
Ventral view of a bioluminescing ‘firefly’ squid, Watasenia scintillans, Sea of Japan. © Danté Fenolio
The advanced Abraliopsis embryo on the left (photograph enlarged relative to that of the eggs on the right) shows the large internal yolk sac and a central black dot which is the developing ink sac. Enoploteuthid paralarvae are often the most abundant young cephalopods found in the near-surface plankton of tropical and subtropical seas (Young and Harman, 1985). Off Hawaii. © R. E. Young, 1996