Brown Ear vs Clawed enope squid

Otidea cochleata compared with Abraliopsis felis

Key Differences

Brown Ear is Vulnerable while Clawed enope squid is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Brown Ear	Clawed enope squid
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Mollusca (Mollusks)
Class	Pezizomycetes (Pezizomycetes)	Cephalopoda (Cephalopods)
Order	Pezizales (Pezizales)	Oegopsida (Oegopsida)
Family	Otideaceae	Enoploteuthidae
Genus	Otidea	Abraliopsis
Species	Otidea cochleata	Abraliopsis felis

Conservation Status

Brown Ear

VU — Vulnerable

Clawed enope squid

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Brown Ear	Clawed enope squid
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Brown Ear

Habitat

Native to Asia and Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Taiwan), Europe (4 countries), and North America (United States). Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Clawed enope squid

Brown Ear

The Brown Ear (Otidea cochleata) is a species in the genus Otidea. It is currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Native to Asia and Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Clawed enope squid

The Clawed Enope Squid, Ancistrocheirus lesueurii, is a medium-sized oceanic squid in the family Ancistrocheiridae found in mesopelagic and bathypelagic zones of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. It is the sole species in its family, representing a phylogenetically isolated lineage of deep-sea squids. The species is characterized by powerful, hook-bearing tentacles used to capture prey, an adaptation reflected in its common name. The mantle is muscular and elongated, bearing lateral fins, and the arms bear suckers modified into sharp hooks in adults. Ancistrocheirus lesueurii performs diel vertical migrations, ascending toward the surface at night and retreating to deeper waters during daylight hours. It is a voracious predator of fish and other squids, and is in turn preyed upon by sperm whales, large pelagic fishes, and sharks. Bioluminescent photophores are present on the body and arms, likely functioning in counterillumination or signaling. As a mesopelagic species distributed throughout major ocean basins, the Clawed Enope Squid contributes significantly to vertical carbon transport in marine ecosystems, processing organic material from surface waters and redistributing it at depth. Population status is unknown; the species has not been assessed by IUCN. It is occasionally recovered in the stomach contents of top predators and from deep-sea trawl surveys.