Octopoteuthis deletron

Octopoteuthis deletron is a species of squid in the genus Octopoteuthis of the family Octopoteuthidae. They belong to the pelagic squids of order Oegopsida. Found at depths of 400 to 800 m (1,300 to 2,600 ft) in the Pacific Ocean, they have been known to grow to 24 cm (9.4 in).

Octopoteuthis deletron
Conservation status
Data Deficient  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Cephalopoda
Order:	Oegopsida
Family:	Octopoteuthidae
Genus:	Octopoteuthis
Species:	O. deletron
Binomial name
Octopoteuthis deletron Young, 1972[2]

Biology

Trophic ecology

This species is described as an inactive predator, having a lower metabolism and relying on ambush,^[3][4] though members of this genus are higher in trophic level than glass squids and active hunters like Todaropsis eblanae.^[5]

O. deletron has been found to break off its arms as a defense strategy. The squid digs hooks in one of its arms into a predator and jets away, leaving the arm in the predator's skin.^[6]

O. deletron are the most common species found in the stomachs of northern elephant seals sampled off the coast of California.^[7] It is an important prey item of the giant grenadier.^[8] It is also eaten by the enigmatic Perrin's beaked whale (Mesoplodon perrini).^[6]

Reproduction

The male O. deletron has a penis, which is unusual among squids. Males find it difficult to detect the sex of other individuals they encounter in the dark depths, so they have adopted a strategy of attaching sperm packets to all individuals they meet.^[9] This behavior has earned it the moniker of "bisexual squid".^[10][11][12]