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Octopoteuthidae

{{Short description|Family of squids}}

{{Automatic taxobox

| image = Taningia danae Joubin 1931.jpg

| image_caption = Taningia danae

| taxon = Octopoteuthidae

| authority = Berry, 1912 {{cite web | url = http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=11741 | title = Octopoteuthidae, Berry, 1912 | accessdate = 10 March 2018 | publisher = Flanders Marine Institute | year = 2016 | author = Julian Finn | work = World Register of Marine Species}}

| type_genus = Octopoteuthis

| type_genus_authority = Rüppell, 1844

| synonyms = Octopoteuthoidea S. S. Berry, 1912

}}

The Octopoteuthidae are a family of squid comprising two genera. The family is characterized by tentacles which cease to grow after the paralarval stage which leads to the adult having eight arms; thus, members of this family are commonly named as octopus squids.

Description

Octopoteuthidae is considered to be closely related to the monotypic family Lepidoteuthidae (genus Lepidoteuthis), sometimes being its sister family.{{cite journal |last1=O’Shea |first1=Steve |last2=Jackson |first2=G. |last3=Bolstad |first3=K. S. |title=The nomenclatural status, ontogeny and morphology of Pholidoteuthis massyae (Pfeffer, 1912) new comb (Cephalopoda: Pholidoteuthidae) |journal=Rev Fish Biol Fisheries |date=2007 |volume=17 |issue=2–3 |pages=425–435 |doi=10.1007/s11160-007-9047-9 |bibcode=2007RFBF...17..425O |url=https://tonmo.com/attachments/pholidoteuthis-pdf.65515/ |access-date=30 March 2025}}

Octopus squids are characterized by a semi-gelatinous body, with very long, broad fins; the fins approach the length of the mantle in adults. These are oval in shape and muscular, with the two fins being fused towards the midline of the mantle. Their namesake feature is the lack of tentacles in adults; paralarvae and young juveniles possess them, but they do not develop after this stage, and so the adults only have eight arms like an octopus; these arms are armed with hooks. They do not have a hectocotylus; rather, they have a "penis" or terminal organ, which is "often greatly enlarged, elongate", extending well beyond the mantle's opening. Photophores are present on the arm-tips, and these are useful in distinguishing the genera.{{cite book |last1=Roper |first1=C.F.E. |last2=Jereb |first2=P. |title=Family Octopoteuthidae. In P. Jereb & C.F.E. Roper, eds. Cephalopods of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of species known to date. Volume 2. Myopsid and Oegopsid Squids. FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes. No. 4, Vol. 2. |date=2010 |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization |location=Rome |pages=262–268. |edition=4 |url=https://www.fao.org/4/i1920e/i1920e.pdf |access-date=5 April 2025}}{{cite web |title=Family Octopoteuthidae - octopus squids |url=https://www.sealifebase.ca/summary/FamilySummary.php?ID=1919 |website=sealifebase.ca |publisher=SeaLifeBase |access-date=6 April 2025}}

The family comprises two genera. A 2019 study recovered some additional species and separates Octopoteuthis into four species groups, though further research is needed to confirm this:{{Cite thesis|title=Systematics of the Octopoteuthidae Berry, 1912 (Cephalopoda: Oegopsida)|url=https://openrepository.aut.ac.nz/handle/10292/13046|publisher=Auckland University of Technology|date=2019|language=en|first=Jesse Tyler|last=Kelly}}

Species recovered by the 2019 study is marked by an asterisk (*). These have not yet been accepted by various online taxonomic databases.{{cite web |title= 10 Species in Family Octopoteuthidae |url=https://www.sealifebase.ca/Nomenclature/FamilySearchList.php?Family=Octopoteuthidae |website=sealifebase.ca |publisher=SeaLifeBase |access-date=6 April 2025}}

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

{{CephBase Family|Octopoteuthidae}}

  • [https://tonmo.com/forums/octopoteuthidae.61/ Octopoteuthidae discussion forum at TONMO.com]
  • [http://tolweb.org/Octopoteuthidae/19834 Tree of Life web project: Octopoteuthidae]

{{Taxonbar|from=Q1223158}}

Category:Octopoteuthoidea

Category:Cephalopod families