The hooked squid, family Onychoteuthidae, currently comprise about 20–25 species (several known from only single life stages and thus unconfirmed), in six or seven genera. They range in mature mantle length from 7 cm to a suggested length of 2 m for the largest member, Onykia robusta. The family is characterised by the presence of hooks only on the tentacular clubs, a simple, straight, funnel–mantle locking apparatus, and a 'step' inside the jaw angle of the lower beak. With the exception of the Arctic Ocean, the family is found worldwide.

Hooked squid
Temporal range: Pliocene - recent[1]
Onychoteuthis banksii
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Cephalopoda
Order: Oegopsida
Family: Onychoteuthidae
Gray, 1849[2]
Type genus
Onychoteuthis
Genera

Onychoteuthis
Onykia
Ancistroteuthis
Kondakovia
Notonykia
Filippovia
Callimachus

Synonyms

Walvisteuthidae Nesis & Nikitina, 1986

Species edit

 
Reaching a mantle length of 2 m, Onykia robusta is the largest onychoteuthid and one of the largest of all squid.
 
A nearly mature female of the undescribed species Onykia sp. A (27.2 cm ML), taken from the stomach of a swordfish

(*) indicates taxa requiring further taxonomic investigation

References edit

  1. ^ "Statoliths of Cenozoic teuthoid cephalopods from North America | The Palaeontological Association". www.palass.org. Retrieved 2023-10-09.
  2. ^ Philippe Bouchet (2018). Bieler R, Bouchet P, Gofas S, Marshall B, Rosenberg G, La Perna R, Neubauer TA, Sartori AF, Schneider S, Vos C, ter Poorten JJ, Taylor J, Dijkstra H, Finn J, Bank R, Neubert E, Moretzsohn F, Faber M, Houart R, Picton B, Garcia-Alvarez O (eds.). "Onychoteuthidae Gray, 1847". MolluscaBase. World Register of Marine Species. Retrieved 13 March 2018.

External links edit