About Lolliguncula brevis (Blainville, 1823)
This species, commonly known as the Atlantic brief squid, has distinct size differences between sexes: females reach approximately 11 cm in total length, while males reach around 9 cm. The maximum recorded mantle length for the species is 12 cm. Its base body color ranges from dark reddish-brown to yellow-brown, and its upper surface is covered in many chromatophores that allow the squid to change its body color. The mantle is widest at its midsection, tapering to a rounded point at its posterior end. Fins are wider than they are long, have a rounded shape, and extend to about half the length of the mantle. The mantle has thick muscular walls, a large water-filled internal cavity, and is separated from the head by a distinct collar. The head bears two large eyes, whose internal structure is very similar to that of vertebrate eyes. A funnel used for locomotion is located underneath the head. The Atlantic brief squid has five pairs of appendages. The first, second, third, and fifth pairs are short, tapering arms, each bearing two rows of suckers. In males, the left fifth appendage is modified into a hectocotylus arm, which functions to transfer spermatophores into the female's reproductive organ. The remaining pair of appendages are long, contractile tentacles that are much longer than the arms. These tentacles end in distal clubs that hold four rows of suckers; they are used to capture prey, which is then passed to the shorter arms for handling. In females, a pair of white nidamental glands sits at the posterior end of the mantle; these glands secrete the material used to form the squid's egg capsule. The Atlantic brief squid is most commonly found in shallow waters along the eastern seaboard of the United States, ranging as far north as Delaware. It has also been recorded in Argentina, Brazil, the British Virgin Islands, Colombia, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela.
