Vampyromorphida

Vampyromorphida
Vampyroteuthis infernalis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Cephalopoda
Superorder:	Octopodiformes
Order:	Vampyromorphida Pickford, 1939
Suborders
?†Kelaenina †Prototeuthina †Mesoteuthina Vampyromorphina
Synonyms
Vampyromorpha Grimpe, 1917

Vampyromorphida is an order of cephalopods comprising one known extant species (Vampyroteuthis infernalis) and many extinct taxa. Physically, they somewhat resemble octopuses, but the eight arms are united by a web of skin, and two smaller cilia are also present.

Classification

• Order Vampyromorphida
  • Suborder †Kelaenina
    • Family †Muensterellidae
  • Suborder †Prototeuthina
    • Family †Loligosepiidae
    • Family †Geopeltididae
    • Family †Lioteuthididae
    • Family †Mastigophoridae
  • Suborder †Mesoteuthina
    • Family †Palaeololiginidae
      • Subfamily †Teudopseinae
      • Subfamily †Palaeololigininae
  • Suborder Vampyromorphina
    • Family Vampyroteuthidae

The following taxa were long considered to belong to Vampyromorphida, but this placement may be incorrect:

• Family †Plesioteuthididae
• Family †Leptotheuthididae
• Family †Trachyteuthididae
  • Subfamily †Trachyteuthidinae
  • Subfamily †Actinosepiinae

Leptoteuthis gigas  Muensterella scutellaris  Palaeololigo oblonga  Teudopsis subcostata  Vampyronassa rhodanica

References

• The Taxonomicon: Order Vampyromorphida
• Mikko's Phylogeny Archive: Vampyromorpha