Octopoteuthidae
Richard E. Young and Michael Vecchione![taxon links](/Public/treeImages/Octopoteuthidae.png?x=4389168)
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close boxIntroduction
Some octopoteuthids reach a large size (160 cm ML); all have a distinctive appearance and are not easily confused with any other squids. Tentacles do not grow much beyond the paralarval stage. They are lost in subadult Octopoteuthis and form only minute appendages in subadult Taningia. The mantle is broad and weakly muscled; large muscular fins apparently provide most of the force for swimming. The short arms carry two series of hooks except near the tips where they are replaced by two series of suckers. Some or all arms terminate in photophores. Arm tips of Octopoteuthis are frequently lost during capture.
Brief diagnosis:
A member of the lepidoteuthid families ...
- without tentacles (rudiments present in some subadults).
- with hooks in two series over most of arm.
- without dermal cushions on mantle.
Characteristics
- Arms
- Arms with hooks in two series, replaced by suckers in two series near arm tips.
- Arms with hooks in two series, replaced by suckers in two series near arm tips.
- Tentacles
- Tentacles reduced or absent in subadults and absent in adults.
- Tentacles reduced or absent in subadults and absent in adults.
- Fins
- Fins large, broad, muscular; fused to one another along dorsal mantle midline.
- Fin length nearly equals mantle length.
Nomenclature
A list of all nominal genera and species in the Octopoteuthidae can be found here. The list includes the current status and type species of all genera, and the current status, type repository and type locality of all species and all pertinent references.
Life History
Mature males lack a hectocotylus but have a large penis that, apparently, can extend well beyond the mantle opening.References
Roper, C. F. E. and M. Vecchione. 1993. A geographic and taxonomic review of Taningia danae Joubin, 1931 (Cephalopoda: Octopoteuthidae), with new records and observations on bioluminescence. P. 441-456. In:: T. Okutani, R. K. O'Dor and T. Kubodera (eds.). The Recent Advances in Cephalopod Fishery Biology. Tokai University Press. Tokyo.
Title Illustrations
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Scientific Name | Octopoteuthis deletron |
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Location | off Hawaii |
Specimen Condition | Live Specimen |
Life Cycle Stage | subadult |
View | lateral |
Image Use |
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Copyright |
© 1996
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Scientific Name | Taningia danae |
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Location | off Hawaii |
Life Cycle Stage | subadult |
View | oral |
Image Use |
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Copyright |
© 1996
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About This Page
University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, USA
National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D. C. , USA
Page copyright © 2019
Page: Tree of Life
Octopoteuthidae
Authored by
. Richard E. Young and Michael Vecchione.
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Citing this page:
Young, Richard E. and Michael Vecchione. 1996. Octopoteuthidae http://tolweb.org/Octopoteuthidae/19834/1996.01.01 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/
. Version 01 January 1996.