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Chiroteuthid families

Richard E. Young and Michael Vecchione
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taxon links [up-->]Promachoteuthidae [up-->]Joubiniteuthidae [up-->]Chiroteuthidae [up-->]Batoteuthidae [up-->]Magnapinnidae [up-->]Mastigoteuthidae [down<--]Oegopsida Interpreting the tree
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Containing group: Oegopsida

Introduction

Chiroteuthid families are a group of six families that share some similar features but whose inclusion as a monophyletic clade has not been firmly established. The most distinctive feature of the group is the loss of the true tentacle club and its replacement by a variety of unusual clubs that generally have more than four series of suckers.

Diagnosis

An oegopsid ...

Characteristics

  1. Arms
    1. Suckers generally in two series (exceptions in Joubiniteuthidae and some Promachoteuthidae and Magnapinnidae).
    2. Buccal connectives attach to ventral borders of arms IV.

  2. Tentacles
    1. Primary club apparently lost except in Planctoteuthis; secondary club present and characterized by:
      1. Protective membranes of club symmetrical (ie, dorsal and ventral membranes identical) when present.
      2. Keel absent.
      3. Terminal pad absent.
      4. Club not expanded.
      5. Club straight.
  3. Funnel
    1. Locking-apparatus oval in most taxa but often with inward protruding knobs (tragus and antitragus) or other bumps making appearance highly variable.
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      Figure. Ventral view of a funnel locking-apparatus of Chiroteuthis joubini. Drawing by A. Hart modified.

  4. Fins
    1. Fins usually terminal (muscular mantle terminates in anterior half of fins).

  5. Tail
    1. A tail, often very long, and supported by the secondary conus of the gladius, generally present.

Discussion of Phylogenetic Relationships

The relationships among the families of this apparent clade are obscure with one exception. The Chiroteuthididae and Mastigoteuthididae have sometimes been placed within the same family due to similarities in the shape of the funnel locking-apparatus and the presence of elongate arms IV (e.g., Chun, 1910).

References

Chun, C. 1910. Die Cephalopoden. Oegopsida. Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse der Deutschen Tiefsee-Expedition, "Valdivia" 1898-1899, 18: 1-522 + Atlas.

Title Illustrations
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Scientific Name Batoteuthis scolops, Chiroteuthis veranyi, Joubiniteuthis portieri, Magnapinna pacifica, Mastigoteuthis glaukopis, Promachoteuthis megaptera
Acknowledgements Batoteuthis scolops illustration by A. D. Hart, Chiroteuthis veranyi photograph copyright ? 1996, E. McSweeny, Joubiniteuthis portieri photograph copyright ? 1996, R. E. Young, Megapinna pacifica photograph copyright ? 1998, Richard E. Young), Mastigoteuthis glaukopis from Chun, 1910, Promachoteuthis megaptera from Okutani, 1983.
ToL Image Use creative commons This media file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License - Version 3.0.
Copyright © 1996 Richard E. Young
About This Page

Richard E. Young
University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA


National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D. C. , USA

Page: Tree of Life Chiroteuthid families. Authored by Richard E. Young and Michael Vecchione. The TEXT of this page is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License - Version 3.0. Note that images and other media featured on this page are each governed by their own license, and they may or may not be available for reuse. Click on an image or a media link to access the media data window, which provides the relevant licensing information. For the general terms and conditions of ToL material reuse and redistribution, please see the Tree of Life Copyright Policies.

Citing this page:

Young, Richard E. and Vecchione, Michael. 2008. Chiroteuthid families. Version 21 April 2008 (under construction). http://tolweb.org/Chiroteuthid_families/19410/2008.04.21 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/

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