Octopoteuthis
{{Short description|Genus of squids}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| image =
| image_caption = Octopoteuthis sp.
| taxon = Octopoteuthis
| authority = Rüppell, 1844 {{cite web | url = http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=138271 | title = Octopoteuthis Rüppell, 1844 | access-date = 10 March 2018 | publisher = Flanders Marine Institute | year = 2016 | author = Julian Finn | work = World Register of Marine Species}}
| type_species = Octopoteuthis sicula
| type_species_authority = Rüppell, 1844
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision =
see text
| synonyms = *Octopodoteuthis Krohn, 1845
- Octopodoteuthopsis Pfeffer, 1912
- Verania Krohn, 1847
}}
Octopoteuthis is a genus of squid, one of the two referred to as octopus squid (family Octopoteuthidae), the other being Taningia, its sister genus. Both Octopoteuthis and Taningia are characterized by their lack of tentacles for the majority of their life cycle, which led to their common name.{{cite book |last1= Nixon |first1= Marion|last2= Young |first2= John Z. |author-link2= John Z. Young |title= The Brains and Lives of Cephalopods |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=BRvrtsuKc6MC&dq=Octopoteuthis&pg=PA193|access-date= August 5, 2013 |year= 2003 |publisher= Oxford University Press |isbn= 0198527616 |pages=193–195 }}
Classification
This genus is separated from Taningia by adults possessing spindle-shaped photophores on the tips of all 8 arms (as opposed to a globular pair on a single arm pair in Taningia); the presence of additional photophores embedded in the mantle, head, and arms (the location and sizes of which vary among the species); and a smaller adult size, with mantle lengths (ML) of up to {{Convert|500|mm|abbr=on}}, but typically not exceeding {{Convert|200|mm|abbr=on}}. This genus possesses two rows of arm hooks on each arm pair, which may already be present at 2.5 mm ML. The paralarvae of this genus possess "weak", gelatinous tentacle stalks, the tentacles themselves are lost at about {{Convert|12|mm|abbr=on}} ML. Paired photophores may be present on the ink sac at {{Convert|15|mm|abbr=on}} ML.{{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 species limits of the genus are in need of further research; for example, some authorities have stated that the Mediterranean species Octopoteuthis sicula is apparently the senior synonym of Octopoteuthis danae and that it is very closely related to, or possibly conspecific with, Octopoteuthis megaptera.{{cite web | author1 = Young, Richard E. | author-link = Richard E. Young | author2 = Michael Vecchione | author2-link = Michael Vecchione | name-list-style = amp | year = 2016 | title = Octopoteuthis Ruppell 1844. Version 16 November 2016. | url = http://tolweb.org/Octopoteuthis/19839/2016.11.16 | access-date = 10 March 2018 | publisher = The Tree of Life Web Project}}
The following species are recognised by the World Register of Marine Species:
- Octopoteuthis danae Joubin, 1931
- Octopoteuthis deletron Young, 1972
- Octopoteuthis indica Naef, 1923
- Octopoteuthis longiptera * Akimushkin, 1963
- Octopoteuthis megaptera (Verrill, 1885)
- Octopoteuthis nielseni Robson, 1948
- Octopoteuthis rugosa Clarke, 1980
- Octopoteuthis sicula Rüppell, 1844, Ruppell's octopus squid
Species marked with an asterisk (
Additional species were recovered by a 2019 study, but they have not been corroborated by WoRMS or SeaLifeBase.{{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}} The study also separates Octopoteuthis into 4 species groups. These species recovered in the study are:{{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}}
- Octopoteuthis fenestra
- Octopoteuthis laticauda
- Octopoteuthis leviuncus
- Octopoteuthis sp. "IO"
- Octopoteuthis sp. "Giant Pacific"
- Octopoteuthis sp. "Giant Atlantic"