Jump to content

Grimpoteuthidae

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Grimpoteuthidae
Grimpoteuthis megaptera a representative of its family illustrating the well developed fins and arm webbing.
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Cephalopoda
Order: Octopoda
Suborder: Cirrina
Family: Grimpoteuthidae
O'Shea, 1999
Type genus
Grimpoteuthis
Genera

Grimpoteuthis
Cryptoteuthis
Luteuthis

Grimpoteuthidae are a family of bentho-pelagic octopuses, comprising three currently accepted genera. They have extensive arm webbing and relatively large fins allowing for powerful fin swimming.

Description

[edit]

Grimpoteuthidae have a strongly U-, V-, W-shaped internal shell (gladius remnant) that supports muscles for large fins. These fins are proportionally much larger than in the related Opisthoteuthidae, and allow for much stronger swimming using the fins alone (unlike Opisthoteuthids that mostly use the arm webbing for swimming). Unlike Cirroctopodidae and Opisthoteuthidae, Grimpoteuthids also have the optic nerves heading to each eye as a single bundle (in the other families this occurs as multiple separated nerve bundles). The extensive arm webbing is shared with Opisthoteuthidae and Cirroctopodidae.[1]

Taxonomy

[edit]

The following genera and 19 species are currently accepted in this family.[2] The family has consistently been supported in molecular studies as distinct from Opisthoteuthidae and Cirroctopodidae.[3][4] Many species in the family are known from only a handful (or even single) specimens, and the taxonomy within the family is very uncertain with many species in Grimpoteuthis possibly being representatives of Cryptoteuthis or even new genera.[5]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Collins, Martin; Villanueva, Roger (2006). "Taxonomy, Ecology And Behaviour Of The Cirrate Octopods". Oceanography and Marine Biology. Oceanography and Marine Biology - an Annual Review. 44: 277–322. doi:10.1201/9781420006391.ch6. ISBN 978-0-8493-7044-1.
  2. ^ "WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Grimpoteuthidae O'Shea, 1999". www.marinespecies.org. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
  3. ^ Piertney, Stuart B.; Hudelot, Cendrine; Hochberg, F.G.; Collins, Martin A. (May 2003). "Phylogenetic relationships among cirrate octopods (Mollusca: Cephalopoda) resolved using mitochondrial 16S ribosomal DNA sequences". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 27 (2): 348–353. doi:10.1016/S1055-7903(02)00420-7. PMID 12695097.
  4. ^ Taite, M.; Fernández-Álvarez, F.á.; Braid, H.E.; Bush, S.L.; Bolstad, K.; Drewery, J.; Mills, S.; Strugnell, J.M.; Vecchione, M.; Villanueva, R.; Voight, J.R.; Allcock, A.L. (May 2023). "Genome skimming elucidates the evolutionary history of Octopoda". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 182: 107729. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2023.107729. hdl:10261/329953. PMID 36773750. S2CID 256804597.
  5. ^ Verhoeff, Tristan Joseph; O’Shea, Steve (2022-01-02). "New records and two new species of Grimpoteuthis (Octopoda: Cirrata: Grimpoteuthididae) from southern Australia and New Zealand". Molluscan Research. 42 (1): 4–30. doi:10.1080/13235818.2022.2035889. ISSN 1323-5818. S2CID 247020706.