Promachoteuthis sloani is a species of squid from the northern Atlantic Ocean. It was known from only three dead specimens until 2024 when a live specimen was observed and photographed in the Nazca Ridge.[2] Very little is understood of its biology.[1] P. sloani is characterised by several morphological features: nuchal fusion is absent between the head and mantle, the arms generally bear 3–4 series of suckers, and papillae are present on the tentacles.[3]
| Promachoteuthis sloani | |
|---|---|
| |
| The third known specimen of P. sloani, collected during the summer 2009 cruise of the NOAA ship Henry B. Bigelow[1] | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Cephalopoda |
| Order: | Oegopsida |
| Family: | Promachoteuthidae |
| Genus: | Promachoteuthis |
| Species: | P. sloani
|
| Binomial name | |
| Promachoteuthis sloani | |
The holotype is an immature female of 58 mm mantle length (ML) in near-perfect condition. It was caught by R/V G.O. SARS in 2004 at 53°05′N 36°46′W / 53.083°N 36.767°W. The paratype, also an immature female, is larger at 102 mm ML. It was caught by R/V Walther Herwig in 1973 at 46°00′N 15°49′W / 46.000°N 15.817°W. Both were trawled in nets that fished to depths greater than 2,650 m.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b Dawicki, S. 2009. NOAA Researchers, Ships Participate in Census of Marine Life’s Decade of Discovery. Northeast Fisheries Science Center.
- ^ Mock-Bunting, Logan (2024-08-28). "New Seamount and Previously Unknown Species Discovered in High Priority Area for International Marine Protection". Schmidt Ocean Institute. Retrieved 2024-09-04.
- ^ a b Young, R.E., M. Vecchione & U. Piatkowski 2006. Promachoteuthis sloani, a new species of the squid family Promachoteuthidae (Mollusca: Cephalopoda). Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 119(2): 287–292.
- Toll, R.B. 1982. The comparative morphology of the gladius in the Order Teuthoidea (Mollusca: Cephalopoda) in relation to systematics and phylogeny. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Miami, 390 pp.
- Voss, N.A. 1992. Family Promachoteuthidae. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology 513: 183–185.
- Toll, R.B. 1998. The gladius in teuthoid systematics. Smithson. Contributions Zool. 586: 55–68.