Ommastrephinae is a subfamily of squid

Squid

Squid are cephalopods of the order Teuthida, which comprises around 300 species. Like all other cephalopods, squid have a distinct head, bilateral symmetry, a mantle, and arms. Squid, like cuttlefish, have eight arms arranged in pairs and two, usually longer, tentacles...

s under the family

Family (biology)

In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...

 Ommastrephidae

Ommastrephidae

Ommastrephidae is a family of squid. It contains 3 subfamilies, 11 genera, and over 20 species.-External links:***...

.

Description

Ommastrephinae includes the largest species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

 of squids belonging to the family Ommastrephidae, Humboldt squid

Humboldt Squid

The Humboldt squid , also known as jumbo squid, jumbo flying squid, pota or diablo rojo , is a large, predatory squid found in the waters of the Humboldt Current in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. They are most commonly found at depths of , from Tierra del Fuego to California...

 (Doscidicus gigas) which can grow to 1.75 metres (5.7 ft) in mantle

Mantle (mollusc)

The mantle is a significant part of the anatomy of molluscs: it is the dorsal body wall which covers the visceral mass and usually protrudes in the form of flaps well beyond the visceral mass itself.In many, but by no means all, species of molluscs, the epidermis of the mantle secretes...

 length (ML). It also contains the smallest squid species belonging to the family, the glass squid (Hyaloteuthis pelagica) which has a mantle length of only up to 9 cm (3.5 in). Ommastrephinae are mostly pelagic members of the family Ommastrephidae. All species of this subfamily contain photophore

Photophore

A photophore is a light-emitting organ which appears as luminous spots on various marine animals, including fish and cephalopods. The organ can be simple, or as complex as the human eye; equipped with lenses, shutters, color filters and reflectors...

s whose locations vary by species. Some species of the subfamily (notably Sthenoteuthis and Ommastrephes) are known for their behavior of leaping out of the water (hence the common names 'flying squid').

Taxonomy

The name of the subfamily, like the family itself and one if its member genera, Ommastrephes, comes from Greek ὄμμα ('eye') and -strephes ('rolling'). They were first described by H.J. Posselt in 1981.

List of genera

Eight species of squids are recognized under Ommastrephinae, divided among six genera

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

. They are the following:

• Genus Dosidicus
  • Dosidicus gigas, Humboldt squid, jumbo flying squid or jumbo squid
• Genus Eucleoteuthis
  • Eucleoteuthis luminosa, striped squid or luminous flying squid
• Genus Hyaloteuthis
  • Hyaloteuthis pelagica, glass squid or glassy flying squid
• Genus Ommastrephes
  • Ommastrephes bartramii, neon flying squid or red flying squid
• Genus Ornithoteuthis
  • Ornithoteuthis antillarum, Atlantic bird squid
  • Ornithoteuthis volatilis, shiny bird squid
• Genus Sthenoteuthis
  • Sthenoteuthis oualaniensis, purpleback squid or purpleback flying squid
  • Sthenoteuthis pteropus, orangeback squid or orangeback flying squid

External links

• Ommastrephinae at the Tree of Life web project.