Ancistrocheirus
| Sharpear enope squid | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Cephalopoda |
| Order: | Oegopsida |
| Superfamily: | Enoploteuthoidea |
| Family: | Ancistrocheiridae Pfeffer, 1912 |
| Genus: | Ancistrocheirus Gray, 1849 |
| Species: | A. lesueurii |
| Binomial name | |
| Ancistrocheirus lesueurii (D'Orbigny, 1842) | |
| Synonyms | |
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Ancistrocheirus lesueurii, the sharpear enope squid, is the only species in the genus Ancistrocheirus and family Ancistrocheiridae. With a mantle length of 25 cm (9.8 in), this moderately sized squid may be found throughout the tropical and subtropical oceans. They tend to be found at mesopelagic depths (200–1,000 m (660–3,280 ft) down).
Although only one species is recognized, some have suggested more than one species may exist due to differences in the paralarval morphology. Paralarva is the first free-living stage for cephalopods.