octopodiformes

{{Short description|Superorder of molluscs}}

{{Automatic taxobox

| fossil_range = {{Fossil range | Early Jurassic | recent | ref={{Cite journal|last1=Klug|first1=Christian|last2=Landman|first2=Neil H.|last3=Fuchs|first3=Dirk|last4=Mapes|first4=Royal H.|last5=Pohle|first5=Alexander|last6=Guériau|first6=Pierre|last7=Reguer|first7=Solenn|last8=Hoffmann|first8=René|date=2019-07-31|title=Anatomy and evolution of the first Coleoidea in the Carboniferous|journal=Communications Biology|language=en|volume=2|issue=1|page=280|doi=10.1038/s42003-019-0523-2|pmid=31372519|issn=2399-3642|pmc=6668408}} | earliest = Serpukhovian}} The oldest fossils of stem-group octopods appeared in the Serpukhovian (late Mississippian)

| image = Proteroctopus ribeti.jpg

| image_caption = Fossil of Proteroctopus from the Middle Jurassic of France, now thought to be a basal vampyropode or vampyromorph

| taxon = Octopodiformes

| authority = Fuchs, Von Boletzky, & Tischlinger, 2010{{Cite journal | last1 = Fuchs | first1 = D. | last2 = Von Boletzky | first2 = S. | last3 = Tischlinger | first3 = H. | title = New evidence of functional suckers in belemnoid coleoids (Cephalopoda) weakens support for the 'Neocoleoidea' concept | doi = 10.1093/mollus/eyq032 | journal = Journal of Molluscan Studies | volume = 76 | pages = 404–406 | year = 2010 | issue = 4 | doi-access = free }}

| subdivision_ranks = Subgroups

| subdivision = See text.

| synonyms = {{taxon list

|Octobrachia|Fiorini, 1981

|Vampyropoda |Boletzky, 1992}}

}}

Octopodiformes is a superorder of the subclass Coleoidea, comprising the octopuses and the vampire squid. All living members of Octopodiformes have eight arms, either lacking the two tentacles of squid (as is the case in octopuses) or modifying the tentacles into thin filaments (as in vampire squid). Octopodiformes is often considered the crown group of octopuses and vampire squids, including all descendants of their common ancestor. Some authors use the term Vampyropoda for the same general category, though others use "Vampyropoda" to refer to the total group (all cephalopods closer to octopods than to true squid). Another term is Octobrachia, referring to cephalopods without prominent tentacles.

It is considered one of the two extant groups of the Neocoleoidea.{{Cite journal | last1 = Fuchs | first1 = D. | last2 = Von Boletzky | first2 = S. | last3 = Tischlinger | first3 = H. | title = New evidence of functional suckers in belemnoid coleoids (Cephalopoda) weakens support for the 'Neocoleoidea' concept | doi = 10.1093/mollus/eyq032 | journal = Journal of Molluscan Studies | volume = 76 | pages = 404–406 | year = 2010 | issue = 4 | doi-access = free }}

Pohlsepia, originally described as earliest octopod is considered as dubious for this group in later study.{{Cite journal |last1=Whalen |first1=Christopher D. |last2=Landman |first2=Neil H. |date=2022-03-08 |title=Fossil coleoid cephalopod from the Mississippian Bear Gulch Lagerstätte sheds light on early vampyropod evolution |journal=Nature Communications |language=en |volume=13 |issue=1 |pages=1107 |doi=10.1038/s41467-022-28333-5 |pmid=35260548 |pmc=8904582 |bibcode=2022NatCo..13.1107W |s2cid=247317831 |issn=2041-1723}} Syllipsimopodi, a squid-like cephalopod from the Mississippian-age Bear Gulch Lagerstätte of Montana, was originally described as the oldest unambiguous vampyropod. However, further analyses might be necessary to unequivocally assign this cephalopod to Vampyropoda.{{Cite journal |last1=Klug |first1=C. |last2=Stevens |first2=K. |last3=Hoffmann |first3=R. |last4=Zatoń |first4=M. |last5=Clements |first5=T. |last6=Košťák |first6=M. |last7=Weis |first7=R. |last8=De Baets |first8=K. |last9=Lehmann |first9=J. |last10=Vinther |first10=J. |last11=Fuchs |first11=D. |title=Revisiting the identification of Syllipsimopodi bideni and timing of the decabrachian-octobrachian divergence |year=2023 |journal=Nature Communications |volume=14 |issue=1 |at=8094 |doi=10.1038/s41467-023-42842-x |pmid=38062003 |pmc=10703834 |doi-access=free }}{{Cite journal |last1=Whalen |first1=C. D. |last2=Landman |first2=N. H. |title=Reply to: Revisiting the identification of Syllipsimopodi bideni and timing of the decabrachian-octobrachian divergence |year=2023 |journal=Nature Communications |volume=14 |issue=1 |at=8228 |doi=10.1038/s41467-023-42843-w |pmid=38086818 |pmc=10716472 |doi-access=free }}

Syllipsimopodi has a combination of squid-like features (like 10 arms) and octopod-like features (like biserial suckers and a simplified internal shell).