Bathyteuthoidea
Encyclopedia
The Bathyteuthoidea are small, mesopelagic
to bathypelagic squid that in some ways resemble myopsid squid
, such as Loligo
and in others the pelagic oegopsid
squid. Its two families, the Bathyteuthidae and Chtenopterygidae, each containing a single genus, have previously been included with the oegopsids.
As with the oegopsids, the Bathyteuthoidea lack corneal membranes covering their eyes, something common to myopsid squid, and have paired oviducts, lacking in myopsids. As with the myopsids, bathyteuthoids have tentacle pockets in the head and small suckers on the buccal supports, found only in this group, Loliginidae
, and Sepiidae
; neither is found in true oegopsids. The Bathyteuthoidea do share the open ocean pelagic habitat with the oegopsid squid, uniting them in that way with that diverse group.
The Bathyteuthidae and Chtenopterygidae differ in body conformation, the internal shell, and in the manner in which buccal supports attach to the lowermost arms (pair IV). Buccal supports attach to the dorsal side of arms IV in the Bathyteuthidae and the ventral side of arms IV in the Chtenopterygidae.
Mesopelagic
The mesopelagic is that part of the pelagic zone that extends from a depth of 200 to 1000 metres below the ocean surface. It lies between the photic epipelagic above and the aphotic bathypelagic below, where there is no light at all...
to bathypelagic squid that in some ways resemble myopsid squid
Myopsina
Myopsina is a suborder of squid containing two families. Some systematists raise it to the level of an order, in which case it is known as Myopsida.-External links:*...
, such as Loligo
Loligo
Loligo is a genus of squids and one of the most representative and widely distributed groups of myopsid squids.The genus was first described by Jean Baptiste Lamarck in 1798. However, the name had been used earlier than Lamarck and might even have been used by Pliny...
and in others the pelagic oegopsid
Oegopsina
Oegopsina is a suborder of the squid order, Teuthida, in the Cephalopod Class. Some taxonomists raise it to the level of an order, in which case it is known as Oegopsida....
squid. Its two families, the Bathyteuthidae and Chtenopterygidae, each containing a single genus, have previously been included with the oegopsids.
As with the oegopsids, the Bathyteuthoidea lack corneal membranes covering their eyes, something common to myopsid squid, and have paired oviducts, lacking in myopsids. As with the myopsids, bathyteuthoids have tentacle pockets in the head and small suckers on the buccal supports, found only in this group, Loliginidae
Loliginidae
Loliginidae, commonly known as pencil squids, is an aquatic family of the order Teuthida .-Species:The following classification follows Vecchione et al. and the Tree of Life Web Project .*Genus Afrololigo...
, and Sepiidae
Sepiidae
Sepiidae is a family of cephalopods in the order Sepiida.-Classification:*Order Sepiida: cuttlefish**Family Sepiadariidae**Family Sepiidae***Genus Metasepia****Metasepia pfefferi, Pfeffer's Flamboyant Cuttlefish...
; neither is found in true oegopsids. The Bathyteuthoidea do share the open ocean pelagic habitat with the oegopsid squid, uniting them in that way with that diverse group.
The Bathyteuthidae and Chtenopterygidae differ in body conformation, the internal shell, and in the manner in which buccal supports attach to the lowermost arms (pair IV). Buccal supports attach to the dorsal side of arms IV in the Bathyteuthidae and the ventral side of arms IV in the Chtenopterygidae.