The hooked squid, family Onychoteuthidae, currently comprise about 20–25 species, 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.
Psychroteuthis glacialis, the glacial squid, is the only known species in the monotypic genus Psychroteuthis, in the family Psychroteuthidae. While only one species has been confirmed, two undescribed species also probably exist. The species occurs in coastal waters near Antarctica and South America. It grows to a mantle length of 44 cm.
Onykia ingens, the greater hooked squid, is a species of squid in the family Onychoteuthidae. It occurs worldwide in subantarctic oceans.
Onykia robusta, also known as the robust clubhook squid and often cited by the older name Moroteuthis robusta, is a species of squid in the family Onychoteuthidae. Reaching a mantle length of 2 m (6.6 ft), it is the largest member of its family and one of the largest of all cephalopods. The tentacular clubs are slender, containing 15-18 club-hooks. Arms of the species contain 50-60 suckers, and grow to 90–100% of the mantle-length. It is found primarily in the boreal to Temperate Northern Pacific.
Ancistroteuthis lichtensteinii, also known as the angel clubhook squid or simply angel squid, is a species of squid in the family Onychoteuthidae and the sole member of the genus Ancistroteuthis. It grows to a mantle length of 30 cm. It can be found in the western Mediterranean Sea, subtropical and tropical eastern Atlantic Ocean and western north Atlantic Ocean. Its diet include mesopelagic fish and pelagic crustaceans. It is sometimes taken as bycatch by commercial fisheries, but is not a targeted species.
Onychoteuthis banksii, the common clubhook squid, is a species of squid in the family Onychoteuthidae. It is the type species of the genus Onychoteuthis. This species was thought to have a worldwide distribution but with the revision of the genus Onychoteuthis in 2010, it is now accepted that Onychoteuthis banksii is restricted to the central and northern Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico while a recently described species, Onychoteuthis horstkottei, is found in the Pacific Ocean. The type locality is the Gulf of Guinea.
Moroteuthopsis longimana, also known as the giant warty squid or longarm octopus squid, is a large species of hooked squid. It attains a mantle length of at least 85 cm and probably over 1.15 m. The largest complete specimen of this species, measuring 2.3 m in total length, was found in Antarctica in 2000.
Filippovia knipovitchi, the smooth hooked squid, is a species of squid in the family Onychoteuthidae and the sole member of the genus Filippovia. It is found in the Antarctic and Atlantic Oceans, and reaches a mantle length of 35 cm.
Onykia loennbergii, the Japanese hooked squid, is a species of squid in the family Onychoteuthidae, named for Swedish zoologist Einar Lönnberg. It occurs in the Western Pacific Ocean, at an estimated depth of 230–1200 m. The mantle length is approximately 300 mm. Each tentacular club contains 25 hooks. The arms are about 60% of the size of the mantle length.
Onykia robsoni, the rugose hooked squid, is a species of squid in the family Onychoteuthidae. It occurs in the Antarctic Ocean, at an estimated depth of 250–550 meters. The mantle of this species grows to a length of 75 cm. The species has been suggested as a junior synonym of Onykia carriboea, the tropical clubhook squid, due to similarities between the species.
Onychoteuthis borealijaponica, the boreal clubhook squid, is a species of squid in the family Onychoteuthidae. It is the largest member of the genus Onychoteuthis, reaching a mantle length of 30 cm in males and 37 cm in females. Maturity is reached at 250 mm for males, and 300–350 mm in females. There are 24–27 hooks on each club, which is more than any other species in the genus Onychoteuthis. It is a pelagic species native to the North Pacific, although it migrates into Subarctic waters during the summer from its more southerly winter spawning grounds.
Onychoteuthis compacta is a species of squid in the family Onychoteuthidae, known to occur in Hawaiian waters. as well as in other areas of the Central Pacific and western north-central Atlantic, it probably has a circumglobar distribution. The species is known to have a mantle length of at least 122 mm for females and 127 mm for males. Each tentacle has 22 club hooks, measuring approximately 30 mm in mature specimens.
Onychoteuthis meridiopacifica is a species of squid in the family Onychoteuthidae. Males become mature at 40 mm, and the species is believed to reach a maximum mantle length of 90 mm, the smallest species in the genus Onychoteuthis. The tentacular club reaches a length of 20-25% of the mantle length, and contains 16-19 club hooks. Arms reach 27-44% of the mantle length, and each contain 50-60 suckers. 8-12 nuchal folds are present on each side of the head. Its short, broad fins and the possession of a small number marginal suckers on the tentacular clubs of adults are distinguishing characteristics of this species. It is found off eastern Australia and probably extends into seas off Indonesia as well as east to Tonga and Vanuatu.
Onykia is a genus of squids in the family Onychoteuthidae. Due to similarities between the genera, several recent authors consider the genus Moroteuthis a junior synonym of Onykia. The type species is Onykia carriboea, the tropical clubhook squid.
Notonykia africanae is a species of squid in the family Onychoteuthidae. It is the type species of the genus Notonykia. While the mature size of the species is unknown, it is known to reach a mantle length of at least 180 mm. Tentacles reach approximately 70% of the mantle length, and contain 14-20 club hooks. Arms are known to reach 27-45% and 33-55% of the mantle length; each containing 50-60 suckers. The species is located in southern waters off Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand and South Africa.
Notonykia nesisi is a species of squid in the family Onychoteuthidae. It is differentiated from Notonykia africanae by the shape of the tentacles. While the species is only known from immature specimens, it is known to achieve a mantle length of at least 100 mm. The tentacles are about 65-115% of the mantle length, and contain 6-18 hooks.
Pterygioteuthis microlampas is a species of squid in the family Pyroteuthidae. They occur from northern New Zealand oceans to the Hawaiian Islands, but they do not overlap with the species P. gemmata, which lives in more southern waters. While there are numerous similarities between these two species, they are separated by the smaller mature size of P. microlampas and the fewer number of hooks on males. The species reproduce sexually during the late autumn to early winter, producing eggs with a diameter of 0.9 mm.
Pyroteuthis serrata is a species of squid in the family Pyroteuthidae. It is found north of the tropical convergence in the waters around New Zealand and it does not overlap with Pyroteuthis margaritifera which has a more southerly range.
Pterygioteuthis gemmata is a species of squid in the family Pyroteuthidae.
Onychoteuthis bergii is a species of hooked squid from the family Onychoteuthidae, it was originally described by Hinrich Lichtenstein from speciemsn taken near the Cape of Good Hope and is the type species of the genus Onychoteuthis. Until recently it was considered to be a junior synonym of Onychoteuthis banksii, but a re-examination of the type material, the lectotype and paralectotype which are deposited in the Natural History Museum, Berlin, showed that there were morphological differences which supported the status of O. bergii as a valid species. The species is found in the eastern South Atlantic and Indian Oceans.
