Helicocranchia

{{Short description|Genus of squids}}

{{Automatic taxobox

| image = Helicopfefferidraw2.jpg

| image_caption = Helicocranchia pfefferi

| taxon = Helicocranchia

| authority = Massy, 1907{{cite web | url = http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=137849 | title = Helicocranchia Massy, 1907 | accessdate = 1 March 2018 | publisher = Flanders Marine Institute | year = 2016 | author = Julian Finn | work = World Register of Marine Species}}

| type_species = Helicocranchia pfefferi

| type_species_authority = Massy, 1907

| subdivision_ranks = Species

| subdivision = see text

| synonyms = Ascocranchia Voss, 1962

}}

Helicocranchia is a genus of small glass squids from the family Cranchiidae, known as piglet squid. They are characterized by possessing a very large funnel and in having a pair of small paddle-like fins which are attached to a part of the gladius which sits above the muscular mantle. These squid undergo a slow descent starting near the surface as paralarvae moving down to lower mesopelagic depths as near-adults.{{cite web|url=http://tolweb.org/Helicocranchia/19550 |title=Helicocranchia Massy, 1907 |author=Richard E. Young | author2 = Katharina M. Mangold (1922-2003) |year = 2017|publisher=The Tree of Life Web Project|accessdate=1 March 2018}}

The genus contains bioluminescent species.{{cite journal |last1=Herring |first1=Peter J. |title=Systematic distribution of bioluminescence in living organisms |journal=Journal of Bioluminescence and Chemiluminescence |date=1987 |issue=3|volume=1 |pages=147–163|doi=10.1002/bio.1170010303 |pmid=3503524 }}