Liocranchia valdiviae

Mantle

• Tubercles absent along middorsal line (i.e., over gladius).
• With distinct V-shaped series of cartilaginous strips on ventral mantle, originating at mantle-funnel fusion sites and diverging posteriorly

Eyes

• Members of the genus Liocranchia are one of the few cranchiid squid in which paralarvae lack stalked eyes (the other being Cranchia scabra). 

Photophores

• 4 oval photophores on eyeball.

Figure. Ventral view of eyeball of L. valdiviae showing the four photophores. The small papilla distal to the photophores is the olfactory papilla. Drawing from Chun (1910).

Liocranchia valdiviae occurs principally in the Indian and Pacific oceans; it also is present in the southeastern South Atlantic in the Benguela Current off South Africa; it is confined primarily to tropical and equatorial oceanic waters (Jereb & Roper, 2010).

Vertical Distribution

In Hawaiian waters L. valdiviae is not a diel vertical migrator although occasionally "wanderers" are found in shallow depths at night. The squid undergoes an ontogenetic descent and generally remains at its daytime depth at night.

Captures were made with both open and opening/closing trawls. Bars- fishing depth-range of opening/closing trawl. Circle- Modal fishing depth for either trawl. Blue-filled circles- Night captures. Yellow-filled circles- Day capture.

Figure. Chart of the vertical distribution of L. valdiviae, Hawaiian waters. Chart modified from Young, 1978.

The paralarvae are similar to those of L. reinhardti. Prior to the development of the dorsal row of tubercles in the latter species, L. valdiviae can be recognized by its distinctive chromatophore pattern which includes three small chromatophores on the dorsal, posterior tip of the mantle and a larger patch of chromatophores on the posterior half of the dorsal mantle.

 Figure. Ventral and dorsal views of an L. valdiviae paralarva, 7.7 mm ML, from Hawaiian waters. Dashed lines represent chromatophores hidden from view. Drawings by R. E. Young.