A squid is a mollusc with an elongated soft body, large eyes, eight arms, and two tentacles in the superorder Decapodiformes, though many other molluscs within the broader Neocoleoidea are also called squid despite not strictly fitting these criteria. Like all other cephalopods, squid have a distinct head, bilateral symmetry, and a mantle. They are mainly soft-bodied, like octopuses, but have a small internal skeleton in the form of a rod-like gladius or pen, made of chitin.
The giant squid is a species of deep-ocean dwelling squid in the family Architeuthidae. It can grow to a tremendous size, offering an example of abyssal gigantism: recent estimates put the maximum size at around 12–13 m (39–43 ft) for females and 10 m (33 ft) for males, from the posterior fins to the tip of the two long tentacles. The mantle of the giant squid is about 2 m long, and the length of the squid excluding its tentacles rarely exceeds 5 m (16 ft). Claims of specimens measuring 20 m (66 ft) or more have not been scientifically documented.
The Mastigoteuthidae, also known as whip-lash squid, are a family of small deep-sea squid. Approximately 20 known species in six genera are represented, with members found in both the mesopelagic and bathypelagic zone of most oceans. Originally described by Verill in 1881, it was later lowered by Chun (1920) to a subfamily (Mastigoteuthinae) of the Chiroteuthidae. However, Roper et al. (1969) raised it back to the family level, and this has not been changed since. The taxonomy of this family is extremely unstable, and there have been at times one genus, two genera and four subgenera(Salcedo-Vargas & Okutani, 1994), two genera and several 'groups', five genera and one species with an uncertain placement, or six genera.
The Octopoteuthidae are a family of squid comprising two genera. The family is characterized by tentacles which cease to grow after the paralarval stage, and the use of a penis, instead of a hectocotylus.
Thysanoteuthis is a genus of large squid comprising one well-known species, the diamond squid, and two dubious taxa.
Oegopsida is one of the two 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 reclassification is due to Oegopsina and Myopsina not being demonstrated to form a clade.
Leachia is a genus containing eight species of glass squids. The genus was formerly divided into two subgenera: Leachia and Pyrgopsis, but is no longer.
Leachia danae is a species of glass squid first described in 1931 in the Eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. It has since also been observed off the Mexican Pacific coast.
Taningia danae, the Dana octopus squid, is a species of squid in the family Octopoteuthidae. It is one of the largest known squid species, reaching a mantle length of 1.7 m (5.6 ft) and total length of 2.3 m (7.5 ft). The largest known specimen, a mature female, weighed 161.4 kg (356 lb).
Taningia persica is a species of squid in the family Octopoteuthidae. Its validity has been questioned. The description of Taningia persica is based on a paralarva of Taningia from the Gulf of Aden, presumably Taningia danae.
Echinoteuthis danae is a species of whip-lash squid. Known only from specimens of paralarvae, the species may be the juvenile form of Echinoteuthis atlantica.
Echinoteuthis is a genus of whip-lash squid containing approximately three to five species. Some teuthologists consider Idioteuthis synonymous with this taxon.
Tsunemi Kubodera is a Japanese zoologist with the National Museum of Nature and Science. On September 30, 2004, Kubodera and his team became the first people to photograph a live giant squid in its natural habitat. Two years later, on December 4, 2006, he also managed to successfully film a live adult giant squid for the first time ever. On July 10, 2012, Kubodera, together with Steve O'Shea and Edith Widder, became the first to film a live giant squid in its natural habitat from a submersible off the Bonin Islands.
Planctoteuthis is a genus of chiroteuthid squid comprising five species, occurring worldwide in lower mesopelagic to bathypelagic depths in tropical to temperate waters. It has been suggested that members of Planctoteuthis are neotenic, retaining characteristics of the doratopsis developmental stage. This is marked in the retention of the paralarval tentacular club, unique among subadult chiroteuthids. Members lack both photophores and a funnel valve. The genus was originally placed within the monotypic family Valbyteuthidae, under the name Valbyteuthis. Similarities between the paralavae of Valbyteuthis and Chiroteuthis led to its inclusion in the family Chiroteuthidae. Eventually, Valbyteuthis was incorporated as a junior synonym of Planctoteuthis, citing previous descriptions of the paralarvae.
Planctoteuthis danae, or Dana's Chiroteutid squid is a species of chiroteuthid squid. It is distinguished from further members of Planctoteuthis by a fin length greater than half of the mantle. During the paralarval stage, the species occurs in depths of 200–300 m, progressing to 200–800 m at 10-15mm ML; larger specimens have been captured from 700 m to in excess of 1000 m. The type locality of P. danae is in the Gulf of Panama, and it has also been recorded from the eastern Pacific Ocean and North Atlantic Ocean.
Octopoteuthis danae is a little known species of small squid in the genus Octopoteuthis of the family Octopoteuthidae. They belong to the pelagic squid order Oegopsida. It is found in the Atlantic Ocean. It is distinguished from the other known similar Atlantic species, Octopoteuthis megaptera, by having a shorter tail which has two photophores. Its specific name honours James Dwight Dana (1813–1895) the American mineralogist and geologist who was a member of the U.S. Exploring Expedition in the Pacific of 1838–42 under Charles Wilkes. This expedition discovered that Antarctica was a continent and named it.
Octopoteuthis is a genus of squid. It is one of two genera in the family Octopoteuthidae, the other being Taningia. Both Octopoteuthis and Taningia are characterized by their lack of tentacles for the majority of their life cycle, and have traits characteristic of both squids and octopods. The species limits of the genus are in need of further research, for example some authorities have stated that the Mediterranean species Octopoteuthis sicula is apparently the senior synonym of Octopoteuthis danae and that it is very closely related to, or possibly conspecific with, Octopoteuthis megaptera.
Taningia fimbria is a recently described species of octopoteuthid squid from the genus Taningia. Like its better-known congener T. danae, T. fimbria is capable of achieving large sizes as adults; a recently examined specimen exceeded 1.65 m in mantle length. Like other members of the genus, T. fimbria lacks tentacles beyond small paralarval stages, has arms bearing two rows of sheathed hooks, and bears large photophores at the tips of two arms. However, several unique characteristics separate the species from other species of Taningia. These include:
Octopoteuthoidea is a superfamily of squid in the order Oegopsida.
