Ommastrephidae is a

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 ...

squid A squid (: squid) is a mollusc with an elongated soft body, large eyes, eight cephalopod limb, arms, and two tentacles in the orders Myopsida, Oegopsida, and Bathyteuthida (though many other molluscs within the broader Neocoleoidea are also ...

containing three

subfamilies In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end botanical subfamily names with "-oideae", and zool ...

, 11

genera Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family as used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial s ...

, and over 20

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), ...

. They are widely distributed globally and are extensively fished for food. One species, '' Todarodes pacificus'', comprised around half of the world's

cephalopod A cephalopod is any member of the molluscan Taxonomic rank, class Cephalopoda (Greek language, Greek plural , ; "head-feet") such as a squid, octopus, cuttlefish, or nautilus. These exclusively marine animals are characterized by bilateral symm ...

catch annually. Some members of Ommastrephidae are known for their jet-propelled flight, earning them the common name of "flying squid".

Description

Funnel_grooves_of_ommastrephid_subfamilies

The ommastrephids are small to large squids, with mantle lengths ranging from that of the glass squid ('' Hyaloteuthis pelagica'') at ,Nesis, K. N. 1982. Abridged key to the cephalopod mollusks of the world's ocean. 385,ii pp. Light and Food Industry Publishing House, Moscow. (In Russian.). Translated into English by B. S. Levitov, ed. by L. A. Burgess (1987), Cephalopods of the world. T. F. H. Publications, Neptune City, NJ, 351pp. to the Humboldt squid (''

Dosidicus gigas The Humboldt squid (''Dosidicus gigas''), also known as jumbo squid or jumbo flying squid, is a large, predatory squid living in the eastern Pacific Ocean. It is the only known species of the genus ''Dosidicus'' of the subfamily Ommastrephinae, ...

'') at .Glaubrecht, M. & M.A. Salcedo-Vargas 2004. The Humboldt squid ''Dosidicus gigas'' (Orbigny, 1835): History of the Berlin specimen, with a reappraisal of other (bathy-)pelagic gigantic cephalopods (Mollusca, Ommastrephidae, Architeuthidae). ''Zoosystematics and Evolution'' 80(1): 53–69. The mantle narrows towards the back and possesses large terminal fins. The family is characterized by an inverted T-shaped funnel locking cartilage. They have an easily recognizable, slender, feather-shaped

gladius ''Gladius'' () is a Latin word properly referring to the type of sword that was used by Ancient Rome, ancient Roman foot soldiers starting from the 3rd century BC and until the 3rd century AD. Linguistically, within Latin, the word also came t ...

with a hollow cone structure (the primary conus). Light organs (

photophore A photophore is a specialized anatomical structure found in a variety of organisms that emits light through the process of boluminescence. This light may be produced endogenously by the organism itself (symbiotic) or generated through a mut ...

s) are present along the head and mantle of members of the subfamily

Ommastrephinae Ommastrephinae is a subfamily of squids under the family Ommastrephidae. Description Ommastrephinae includes the largest species of squids belonging to the family Ommastrephidae, Humboldt squid ('' Dosidicus gigas'') which can grow to in mant ...

Ommastrephid

arms Arms or ARMS may refer to: *Arm or arms, the upper limbs of the body Arm, Arms, or ARMS may also refer to: People * Ida A. T. Arms (1856–1931), American missionary-educator, temperance leader Coat of arms or weapons *Armaments or weapons **Fi ...

have a double series of suckers. The enlarged tips (the clubs) of the tentacles have four rows of suckers, except in the genus ''

Illex ''Illex'', commonly known as shortfin squids, is a genus of squid in the family Ommastrephidae and the only member of the subfamily Illicinae. It contains four species: * '' Illex argentinus'', Argentine shortfin squid * '' Illex coindetii'', so ...

'', which has eight. Hooks are absent. One of the ventral arms develops into a secondary sexual organ (the

hectocotylus A hectocotylus (: hectocotyli) is one of the arms of male cephalopods that is specialized to store and transfer spermatophores to the female. Structurally, hectocotyli are muscular hydrostats. Depending on the species, the male may use it merel ...

) in males. All ommastrephids are active

predator Predation is a biological interaction in which one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common List of feeding behaviours, feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation ...

s. Their arms and tentacles bear sharp teeth and are used to grasp and bring prey to their beaked mouths. They are very strong swimmers, and some species are known to glide out of water to escape predators. Ommastrephid

paralarva Coleoidea or Dibranchiata is one of the two subclasses of cephalopod molluscs containing all the various taxa popularly thought of as "soft-bodied" or "shell-less" (i.e. octopus, squid and cuttlefish). Unlike its extant sister group Nautiloidea ...

e are distinctive for having fused tentacles, looking like a single "proboscis". It gradually splits into two as the paralarvae grow becoming completely separated once they reach mantle lengths of .

Distribution and habitat

Ommastrephids usually occur in

pelagic The pelagic zone consists of the water column of the open ocean and can be further divided into regions by depth. The word ''pelagic'' is derived . The pelagic zone can be thought of as an imaginary cylinder or water column between the sur ...

waters, but can also be found in

neritic The neritic zone (or sublittoral zone) is the relatively shallow part of the ocean above the drop-off of the continental shelf, approximately in depth. From the point of view of marine biology it forms a relatively stable and well-illuminated ...

habitats. They are found worldwide.

Taxonomy

Ommastrephidae was first established by the Danish

zoologist Zoology ( , ) is the scientific study of animals. Its studies include the structure, embryology, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct, and how they interact with their ecosystems. Zoology is one ...

Japetus Steenstrup Johannes Japetus Smith Steenstrup FRS(For) HFRSE (8 March 1813 – 20 June 1897) was a Danish zoologist, biologist, and professor. Life Born in Vang, Thy on 8 March 1813, he held a lectorate in mineralogy in Sorø until 1845 when he became a ...

in 1857. It is classified under the

suborder Order () is one of the eight major hierarchical taxonomic ranks in Linnaean taxonomy. It is classified between family and class. In biological classification, the order is a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms and recognized ...

Oegopsina Oegopsida is one of the four orders of squid in the superorder Decapodiformes, in the class Cephalopoda. Together with the Myopsina, it was formerly considered to be a suborder of the order Teuthida, in which case it was known as Oegopsina. This ...

of the

order Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * A socio-political or established or existing order, e.g. World order, Ancien Regime, Pax Britannica * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood ...

Teuthida (squids). It is divided into five

which are further subdivided into 11 genera and more than 20 species. The following subfamilies, genera, and species are classified in the family Ommastrephidae: *Family Ommastrephidae :*Subfamily

Illicinae ''Illex'', commonly known as shortfin squids, is a genus of squid in the family Ommastrephidae and the only member of the subfamily Illicinae. It contains four species: * '' Illex argentinus'', Argentine shortfin squid * '' Illex coindetii'', so ...

::*Genus ''

'' :::* '' Illex argentinus'', Argentine shortfin squid :::* '' Illex coindetii'', southern shortfin squid :::* ''

Illex illecebrosus ''Illex illecebrosus'', commonly known as the northern shortfin squid, is a species of Neritic zone, neritic squids in the Family (biology), family Ommastrephidae. Squids of the genus Illex account for 65% of the world's cephalopod captures. Ille ...

'', northern shortfin squid :::* '' Illex oxygonius'', sharptail shortfin squid :*Subfamily

::*Genus '' Dosidicus'' :::* ''

'', Humboldt squid, jumbo flying squid or jumbo squid ::*Genus '' Eucleoteuthis'' :::* '' Eucleoteuthis luminosa'', striped squid or luminous flying squid ::*Genus '' Hyaloteuthis'' :::* '' Hyaloteuthis pelagica'', glassy flying squid ::*Genus '' Ommastrephes'' :::* '' Ommastrephes bartramii'', neon flying squid or red flying squid :::* '' Ommastrephes brevimanus'' :::* '' Ommastrephes caroli'' :::* '' Ommastrephes cylindraceus'' ::*Genus '' Sthenoteuthis'' :::* '' Sthenoteuthis oualaniensis'', purpleback squid or purpleback flying squid :::* '' Sthenoteuthis pteropus'', orangeback squid or orangeback flying squid :*Subfamily Ornithoteuthinae ::*Genus '' Ornithoteuthis'' :::* '' Ornithoteuthis antillarum'', Atlantic bird squid :::* '' Ornithoteuthis volatilis'', shiny bird squid :*Subfamily

Todarodinae Todarodinae is a squid subfamily in the family Ommastrephidae. Genera * Genus ''Martialia'' ** ''Martialia hyadesii'', sevenstar flying squid * Genus ''Nototodarus'' ** ''Nototodarus gouldi'', Gould's flying squid ** ''Nototodarus hawaiiensis'', ...

::*Genus ''

Martialia ''Martialia'' is a genus of flying squids in the family Ommastrephidae. It is monotypic, being represented by the single species ''Martialia hyadesii'', commonly known as the sevenstar flying squid. They have a maximum mantle length of 400mm, wit ...

'' :::*''

Martialia hyadesii ''Martialia'' is a genus of flying squids in the family Ommastrephidae. It is monotypic, being represented by the single species ''Martialia hyadesii'', commonly known as the sevenstar flying squid. They have a maximum mantle length of 400mm, wit ...

'', sevenstar flying squid ::*Genus ''

Nototodarus ''Nototodarus'' is a genus of squid. Example species in this genus include '' Nototodarus sloanii'', a species sought for human food. In the process of harvesting ''N. sloanii'', Australian sea lion The Australian sea lion (''Neophoca cinerea' ...

'' :::* ''

Nototodarus gouldi ''Nototodarus gouldi'', also known as the Gould's squid, Gould's flying squid, or arrow squid, is a squid belonging to the family Ommastrephidae. It inhabits the tropical and temperate waters of Australia and New Zealand. It is frequently caught ...

'', Gould's flying squid :::* ''

Nototodarus hawaiiensis ''Nototodarus hawaiiensis'', the Hawaiian flying squid, is a species of squid. It mainly lives at depths of about 400 - 570 m. It lives in the Pacific Ocean from Hawaiian Islands to Midway Island Midway Atoll (colloquial: Midway Islands; ...

'', Hawaiian flying squid :::*''

Nototodarus sloanii ''Nototodarus sloanii'' is a species of squid commonly known as the New Zealand arrow squid or Wellington flying squid. It is also known by its Māori name of wheketere. It is a favoured prey species of a number of marine mammals and diving bird ...

'', Wellington flying squid or New Zealand arrow squid ::*Genus ''

Todarodes ''Todarodes'' is a genus of flying squid from the subfamily Todarodinae, of which it is the type genus. The genus contains five species which are partially allopatric but between them their distributions encompass most of the world's oceans an ...

'' :::* ''

Todarodes angolensis The Angolan flying squid (''Todarodes angolensis'') is a species of squid from the subfamily Todarodinae, part of the Family (biology), family Ommastrephidae. Due to taxonomic confusion with the Antarctic flying squid the exact limits of its dist ...

'', Angola flying squid :::*''

Todarodes filippovae The Antarctic flying squid (''Todarodes filippovae'') is a species of squid from the subfamily Todarodinae of the Family (biology), family Ommastrephidae, a family of pelagic squid from the Order (taxonomy), order Oegopsida. It has a circumglobal ...

'', Antarctic flying squid :::* '' Todarodes pacificus'', Japanese flying squid or Japanese common squid :::* ''

Todarodes pusillus The little flying squid (''Todarodes pusillus'') is a species of squid, one of the arrow squids of the genus ''Todarodes, in the subfamily ''Todarodinae of the flying squid Family (biology), family Ommastrephidae. It is a small species from the wa ...

'', little flying squid :::* ''

Todarodes sagittatus The European flying squid (''Todarodes sagittatus'') is a species of squid from the continental slope and oceanic waters of the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It is the type species of the genus ''Todarodes'', the type genus o ...

'', European flying squid :Subfamily Todaropsinae ::*Genus ''

Todaropsis ''Todaropsis'' is a species of short finned squid in the family Ommastrephidae. It is the only genus in the monotypic subfamily Todaropsinae. The genus ''Todaropsis'' is also monotypic, containing the single species ''Todaropsis eblanae'', also k ...

'' :::* ''

Todaropsis eblanae ''Todaropsis'' is a species of short finned squid in the family Ommastrephidae. It is the only genus in the monotypic subfamily Todaropsinae. The genus ''Todaropsis'' is also monotypic, containing the single species ''Todaropsis eblanae'', also k ...

'', lesser flying squid

References

External links

Ommastrephidae discussion forum at TONMO.comTree of Life web project: OmmastrephidaeScientific American: Can a Squid Fly Out of the Water?
{{Authority control Cranchioidea Cephalopod families

Description

Distribution and habitat

Taxonomy

See also

References

External links