The Octopodidae comprise the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

containing the majority of known

octopus An octopus (: octopuses or octopodes) is a soft-bodied, eight-limbed mollusc of the order Octopoda (, ). The order consists of some 300 species and is grouped within the class Cephalopoda with squids, cuttlefish, and nautiloids. Like oth ...

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

(about 175 species).

Genera

The

World Register of Marine Species The World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) is a taxonomic database that aims to provide an authoritative and comprehensive catalogue and list of names of marine organisms. Content The content of the registry is edited and maintained by scien ...

lists these 23 genera: *'' Abdopus'' Norman & Finn, 2001 (7 species) *'' Ameloctopus'' Norman, 1992 (monotypic) *''

Amphioctopus ''Amphioctopus'' is a genus of octopuses comprising around 16 species. Description Members of the genus ''Amphioctopus'' reside in tropical and subtropical waters. These octopuses are found primarily in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific and Indian O ...

'' P. Fischer, 1882 (16 species) *'' Callistoctopus'' Taki, 1964 (11 species) *'' Cistopus'' Gray, 1849 (4 species) *'' Euaxoctopus'' Voss, 1971 (3 species) *''

Galeoctopus ''Galeoctopus lateralis'', the sharkclub octopus, is a species of octopus, from the family Octopodidae. This species was described in 2004 from specimens collected at depths of 200–400 m in the southern and western Pacific Ocean. It is a small ...

'' Norman, Boucher & Hochberg, 2004 (monotypic) *''

Grimpella ''Grimpella thaumastocheir'', the velvet octopus, is the only species in the monotypic genus ''Grimpella'', in the family Octopodidae. This species has a typical body length of 200 mm. It is found in offshore waters and is endemic Endemism ...

'' Robson, 1928 (monotypic) *'' Hapalochlaena'' Robson, 1929 (4 species) *'' Histoctopus'' Norman, Boucher-Rodoni & Hochberg, 2009 (2 species) *'' Lepidoctopus'' Haimovici & Sales, 2019 (monotypic) *'' Macrochlaena'' Robson, 1929 (monotypic) *'' Macroctopus'' Robson, 1928 (monotypic) *'' Macrotritopus'' Grimpe, 1922 (2 species) *''

Octopus An octopus (: octopuses or octopodes) is a soft-bodied, eight-limbed mollusc of the order Octopoda (, ). The order consists of some 300 species and is grouped within the class Cephalopoda with squids, cuttlefish, and nautiloids. Like oth ...

Cuvier Jean Léopold Nicolas Frédéric, baron Cuvier (23 August 1769 – 13 May 1832), known as Georges Cuvier (; ), was a French natural history, naturalist and zoology, zoologist, sometimes referred to as the "founding father of paleontology". Cuv ...

, 1798 (99 species) *'' Paroctopus'' Naef, 1923 (3 species) *'' Pinnoctopus'' d'Orbigny, 1845 (2 species) *''

Pteroctopus ''Pteroctopus'' is a genus of octopuses in the family Octopodidae. Species * '' Pteroctopus eurycephala'' * (Taki, 1964) * '' Pteroctopus hoylei'' (Berry, 1909) – Pacific Fourhorn Octopus * '' Pteroctopus keralensis'' * (Oommen, 1966) * '' Pt ...

'' P. Fischer, 1882 (6 species) *'' Robsonella'' Adam, 1938 (2 species) *''

Scaeurgus ''Scaeurgus'' is a genus of octopuses in the family Octopodidae. The species of this genus are characterized by inhabiting the upper bathyal benthic zone from temperate and tropical latitudes in all major oceans. Species * '' Scaeurgus jumeau'' ...

'' Troschel, 1857 (5 species) *''

Teretoctopus ''Teretoctopus'' is a genus of octopuses in the family (biology), family Octopodidae. Species * ''Teretoctopus alcocki'' Robson, 1932 * ''Teretoctopus indicus'' Robson, 1929 References External links

* Octopodidae Cephalopod genera ...

'' Robson, 1929 (2 species) *'' Thaumoctopus'' Norman & Hochberg, 2005 (monotypic) *'' Wunderpus'' Hochberg, Norman & Finn, 2006 (monotypic) Two fossil genera are also known: ''

Styletoctopus ''Styletoctopus'' is an extinct genus of octopus. The genus consists of the single species ''Styletoctopus annae'', which lived approximately 95 million years ago during the late Cenomanian, (early late Cretaceous). It was first discovered in 20 ...

'' from the

Late Cretaceous The Late Cretaceous (100.5–66 Ma) is the more recent of two epochs into which the Cretaceous Period is divided in the geologic time scale. Rock strata from this epoch form the Upper Cretaceous Series. The Cretaceous is named after ''cre ...

(

Cenomanian The Cenomanian is, in the International Commission on Stratigraphy's (ICS) geological timescale, the oldest or earliest age (geology), age of the Late Cretaceous epoch (geology), Epoch or the lowest stage (stratigraphy), stage of the Upper Cretace ...

) of the

Sannine Formation The Sannine Formation, also called the Sannine Limestone, is a Cretaceous geologic formation in Lebanon. It is a Konservat-Lagerstätte that contains a high diversity of well-preserved fish, reptiles, and invertebrates from the Tethys Ocean wit ...

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

, and '' Bolcaoctopus'' from the

Early Eocene In the geologic timescale the Ypresian is the oldest age (geology), age or lowest stage (stratigraphy), stratigraphic stage of the Eocene. It spans the time between , is preceded by the Thanetian Age (part of the Paleocene) and is followed by th ...

(Ypresian) of

Monte Bolca Monte Bolca is an Ypresian, Early Eocene-aged geologic site located near Verona, Italy, Verona, Italy. A ''Konservat-Lagerstätte'', it contains an extremely well-preserved and diverse marine biota, including the most diverse fish fauna of any Ce ...

, Italy.

References

External links

Tree of Life Octopodidae

Octopodidae movies

TONMO.com provides cephalopod family discussion forums, videos, etc.
Cephalopod families {{octopus-stub Extant Cenomanian first appearances