Clawed enope squid vs Common Jelly Spot

Abraliopsis felis compared with Dacrymyces stillatus

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Clawed enope squid	Common Jelly Spot
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum	Mollusca (Mollusks)	Basidiomycota (Club Fungi)
Class	Cephalopoda (Cephalopods)	Dacrymycetes (Dacrymycetes)
Order	Oegopsida (Oegopsida)	Dacrymycetales (Dacrymycetales)
Family	Enoploteuthidae	Dacrymycetaceae
Genus	Abraliopsis	Dacrymyces
Species	Abraliopsis felis	Dacrymyces stillatus

Conservation Status

Clawed enope squid

LC — Least Concern

Common Jelly Spot

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Clawed enope squid	Common Jelly Spot
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Clawed enope squid

Common Jelly Spot

Habitat

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

Range

Found across Europe (5 countries) and North America (United States).

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.

Common Jelly Spot

<em>Dacrymyces stillatus</em>, commonly known as the common jelly spot, is a saprotrophic fungus in the family Dacrymycetaceae. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, with records from five European countries and North America. The species typically grows on damp, dead, or decaying wood, particularly coniferous timber, forming small, gelatinous, orange-yellow cushions or pustules on the substrate surface. As a saprotrophic wood-decay fungus, it contributes to nutrient cycling and the decomposition of woody material in temperate forest ecosystems. The bright gelatinous fruiting bodies make it a conspicuous species when encountered on wet wood in cool, humid conditions. Diet information for this species is not available in current records. Biological traits of this species remain poorly documented in the scientific literature.