Dana Octopus Squid
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Photo] Still image from the first video footage of a live Taningia danae in its natural habitat. Source: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/02/070214-giant-squid.html Copyright: video by T. Kubodera, Y. Koyama, and K. Mori, copyright NHK, courtesy Royal Society

The Dana Octopus Squid (Taningia danae) is a species of squid in the family Octopoteuthidae. It reaches a mantle length (ML) of 170 cm, and is probably the fifth largest squid after the Colossal Squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni), giant squid (Architeuthis sp.), Robust Clubhook Squid (Moroteuthis robusta), and Megalocranchia fisheri. Taningia danae is named after Danish fisheries biologist Aage Vedel Taaning (1890-1958), who often traveled on the research vessel Dana.

Hunting behaviour and bioluminescence
In 2005, a Japanese research team headed by Tsunemi Kubodera managed to film T. danae in its natural habitat for the first time. The video footage, shot in deep water off Chichi-jima in the northern Pacific Ocean, shows T. danae emitting blinding flashes of light as it attacks its prey. It is believed that this highly maneuverable squid uses the bright flashes to disorientate potential prey. The footage reveals short flashes from light-producing photophores on its arms. These flashes may also serve to illuminate the prey to make for easier capture as well as a courtship and territorial display.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dana_Octopus_Squid

The text in this page is based on the copyrighted Wikipedia article shown in above URL. It is used under the GNU Free Documentation License. You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the GFDL.