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   » » Wiki: Teuthidodrilus
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Teuthidodrilus samae, dubbed as the squidworm, is a of worms. It is and can be found in the deep sea at depths of . It feeds on and can grow to about in length and in width. It is named for the ten squid-like appendages emerging from its head. It was discovered in 2007 in the benthopelagic zone of the , near the islands of the . It is the in the Teuthidodrilus.


Discovery
Teuthidodrilus samae was discovered in the 2007 "Exploring the Inner Space of the Celebes Sea" expedition by the remotely operated underwater vehicle Global Explorer ROV operated from the Philippine research vessel Hydrographer Presbitero. Seven specimens were observed and collected from the deep-water column of the ) of the near the islands of the . This area is part of the , a location known for its increased biodiversity. The specimens were recovered at depths ranging from , all within the of around from the .


Taxonomy
Teuthidodrilus samae is the classified in the Teuthidodrilus. It belongs to the family of the class in the . It is classified along with the genus in the "swimming " within the family Acrocirridae. A similar undescribed and uncollected specimen observed from off western by the Hercules 7 ROV in 2004 may represent a second species in the genus.

The generic name comes from Greek for "squid worm", while the specific name is in honor of the of the Tawi-Tawi islands. The is deposited in the National Museum of the Philippines.


Physical characteristics
The collected specimens ranged in size from in body length. The has a body width of around . Adults are light brown when alive, becoming light black in color when preserved. Juveniles are almost transparent.

The body is divided into 25 segments () with pairs of large flattened paddle-shaped , around in length. Each notopodium has greater than 50 (bristles) arranged into a fin-like shape, except the first segment which has less than 10. Alongside the notopodia are pairs of , each with around 2 to 4 chaetae.

The head segment () supports five pairs of long appendages. Four pairs of appendages are sensory and breathing organs (branchiae) at least in length. They are arranged along the upper and side ridges of the head, arising from the pair of feather-like which analyze chemical signals in the sea. The fifth pair of appendages are grooved and coiled feeding arising from below the mouth, which is located in the front-bottom corner of the head.

Their internal anatomy is relatively visible from the outside since their outer body is semi-transparent. Two parallel ventral nerve cords run lengthwise throughout the body, fusing into two pairs of in each segment. The gut forms three loops in the second to sixth segments. The circulatory system consists of a heart body and large vessels leading to the gills. The pair of extends from the first segment to the fifth segment. The female are located in the second to fourth segments with beige-colored grape-like clusters of variously-sized (with a maximum diameter of ).


Behavioral characteristics
Not much is known of this creature’s behavior other than its ability to swim with proficiency using their paddle-like notopodia. It is categorized as a suspension feeder since it consumes , which consists of pieces from animals, plants, feces and other organic materials that precipitate from the higher parts of the ocean towards the abyss.

In total, sixteen specimens were observed and seven were collected within just a few dives suggesting that this animal is a common member of the benthopelagic community of the Celebes Sea basin.


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