Grimalditeuthis
| Grimalditeuthis | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Cephalopoda |
| Order: | Oegopsida |
| Family: | Chiroteuthidae |
| Genus: | Grimalditeuthis L. Joubin, 1898 |
| Species: | G. bonplandi |
| Binomial name | |
| Grimalditeuthis bonplandi (Vérany, 1839) | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Grimalditeuthis bonplandi is a squid named after the Grimaldi family, reigning house of Monaco. Prince Albert I of Monaco was an amateur teuthologist who pioneered the study of deep sea squids by collecting the 'precious regurgitations' of sperm whales. The specific name bonplandi refers to the French scientist Aimé Bonpland.
The squid was observed alive in the wild for the first time in 2005 in a study.
Grimalditeuthis bonplandi is a bioluminescent species. This species shows an interesting case of aggressive mimicry, with the tips of the long tentacles having the appearance of a small harmless squid. It lures fish and other squids by dangling the tips of the tentacles very far away from its body, then quickly snatching the fooled prey into its death. Intact tentacles suspected to be from this species have been found inside the longnose lancetfish.