Cephalopod · squid

Grimaldi scaled squid

Lepidoteuthis grimaldii

PacificAtlanticIndianSouthernArctic Found in 3 oceans

Depth

Probably from a few hundred meters to about 2,000 m

Size

Mantle up to 1 m

Diet

Poorly known; hunts at depth

Zone

Twilight zone · 200 – 1,000 m

Key facts

• It was described in 1895 from pieces found in the stomach of a sperm whale caught in the Azores.
• Its mantle is covered with diamond-shaped skin pads that overlap like tiles.
• Adults no longer have the two long hunting tentacles; they lose them as they grow.
• Large specimens are known mainly from the stomachs of their predators.

And the sperm whale?

It is a prey of the sperm whale. The first specimen described came from the stomach of a sperm whale from the Azores, and others were found in a sperm whale from Madeira.

Verified sources

1. FAO Cephalopods of the World vol. 2 : Lepidoteuthis grimaldii
2. Tree of Life Web Project : Lepidoteuthidae
3. Clarke 1960, Nature : Lepidoteuthis grimaldi dans un cachalot de Madère

In the game: Prey: +25 points

In the same zone

Whitecheek lanternsharkEtmopterus alphus Purpleback flying squidSthenoteuthis oualaniensis Ningaloo giant siphonophoreApolemia sp. Giant Arctic copepodCalanus hyperboreus Northern wolffishAnarhichas denticulatus Orange siphonophoreMarrus orthocanna