Liocranchia

Liocranchia
Liocranchia valdiviae subadult
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Cephalopoda
Order: Oegopsida
Family: Cranchiidae
Subfamily: Cranchiinae
Genus: Liocranchia
Pfeffer, 1884
Type species
Leachia reinhardti
Species

see text

Synonyms

Fusocranchia Joubin, 1920

Liocranchia is a genus of glass squid from the family Cranchiidae. They are moderate-sized with a long, spindle-shaped mantle which tapers to a point at the rear and they can attain mantle lengths of 250 millimeters (9.8 in). The species in Liocranchia have a cosmopolitan distribution in tropical and subtropical oceans although it has been suggested that one species, Liocranchia reinhardti is associated with land masses. In seas off Hawaii waters, L. reinhardti undergoes vertical migrations while L. valdiviae occurs in deep water and is sedentary. They are eaten by many oceanic predator species.