''Opisthoteuthis'', from
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek (, ; ) includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the classical antiquity, ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Greek ...
ὄπισθεν (''ópisthen''), meaning "back", and
τευθίς (''teuthís''), meaning "squid", is a genus of
cirrate 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 ...
es, sometimes known as flapjack octopuses, which are found in all the world's oceans.
Behavior
Like other
cirrates, octopuses in'' Opisthoteuthis'' are generally small, and many dwell in the deep sea. They have
cirri on their arms, internal
shells to support their bodies, and muscular fins for steering. Like octopuses of
Grimpoteuthis
''Grimpoteuthis''
is a genus of pelagic Cirrina, cirrate (finned) octopods known as the dumbo octopus. The name "dumbo" originates from their resemblance to the title character of Disney's 1941 film ''Dumbo'', having two prominent ear-like fi ...
, opisthoteuthids have been seen resting or crawling on the seafloor.
Species
These 25 species have been placed in ''Opisthoteuthis'':
Note:
References
External links
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{{Taxonbar, from=Q3816282
Octopuses
Cephalopod genera