Ecology Summary - Euprymna scolopes

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Ecology of Euprymna scolopes

Main Ref.	Jereb, P. and C.F.E. Roper (eds.), 2005
Remarks	Small, benthic squid (Ref. 118073) found in shallow coastal waters (Refs. 843, 1695), living in muddy and sandy areas near seagrass meadows (Ref. 118075). Hosts a symbiotic luminescent bacteria Vibrio fischeri, the sole bacterium found to naturally thrive in E. scolopes light organ. This symbiont colony reaches as much as 10^9 cells, and remains remarkably monospecific (Ref. 118072). The microbial colony serves as an antipredation measure for the squid, while the microbe gets shelter and nutrition from the squid. When E. scolopes forages at night, the bacterial colony emit light which matches the intensity of the moonlight above it, thus reducing the host's silhouette, preventing it from being eaten by predators in the ocean floor below (Ref. 118071). It also uses another form of camouflage by sticking sand grains to its body (Ref. 118075). A nocturnal predator, the squid finds shelter in the sand during the day and hunts at night over shallow-water sand flats (Ref. 118073). Mainly feeds on the shrimp Palaemon debilis but also consumes small worms (Ref. 122680).

Main Ref.

Jereb, P. and C.F.E. Roper (eds.), 2005

Remarks

Small, benthic squid (Ref. 118073) found in shallow coastal waters (Refs. 843, 1695), living in muddy and sandy areas near seagrass meadows (Ref. 118075). Hosts a symbiotic luminescent bacteria Vibrio fischeri, the sole bacterium found to naturally thrive in E. scolopes light organ. This symbiont colony reaches as much as 10^9 cells, and remains remarkably monospecific (Ref. 118072). The microbial colony serves as an antipredation measure for the squid, while the microbe gets shelter and nutrition from the squid. When E. scolopes forages at night, the bacterial colony emit light which matches the intensity of the moonlight above it, thus reducing the host's silhouette, preventing it from being eaten by predators in the ocean floor below (Ref. 118071). It also uses another form of camouflage by sticking sand grains to its body (Ref. 118075). A nocturnal predator, the squid finds shelter in the sand during the day and hunts at night over shallow-water sand flats (Ref. 118073). Mainly feeds on the shrimp Palaemon debilis but also consumes small worms (Ref. 122680).

Aquatic zones / Water bodies

	Marine - Neritic	Marine - Oceanic	Brackishwater	Freshwater
Marine zones / Brackish and freshwater bodies	supra-littoral zone littoral zone sublittoral zone	epipelagic mesopelagic epipelagic abyssopelagic hadopelagic	estuaries/lagoons/brackish seas mangroves marshes/swamps	rivers/streams lakes/ponds caves exclusively in caves

Highighted items on the list are where Euprymna scolopes may be found.

Habitat

Substrate	Benthic: mobile; demersal; Soft Bottom: sand; mud;
Substrate Ref.	Norman, M., 2003
Special habitats	Other habitats: burrows;
Special habitats Ref.	State of hawaii, 2020

Associations

Ref.	Visick, K.L. and M.J. McFall-Ngai, 2000
Associations	symbiosis; mutualism;
Associated with	Vibrio fischeri.
Association remarks	The light organ of a newly hatched E. scolopes juvenile is devoid of bacteria. Dew hours upon hatching, V. fischeri colonize the light organ of the young squid, triggering morphological and developmental changes in both organisms. Specificity between the two species is attained through a mutual dialogue, from initial encounter, early negotiation on entry and attachment of the microbe to the light organ, to stabilization of this dynamic, mutual interaction (Ref. 118071).
Parasitism	inside host

feeding

Feeding type	mainly animals (troph. 2.8 and up)
Feeding type Ref.	Shears, J., 1988
Feeding habit	hunting macrofauna (predator)
Feeding habit Ref.	Shears, J., 1988

Trophic Level(s)

Estimation method	original sample		unfished population		Remark
Estimation method	Troph	s.e.	Troph	s.e.	Remark
From diet composition
From individual food items	3.66	0.58			Trophic level estimated from a number of food items using a randomized resampling routine.
Ref.

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