GRIMPOTEUTHIDAE O’SHEA, 1999

Collins, Martin A., 2003, The genus Grimpoteuthis (Octopoda: Grimpoteuthidae) in the north-east Atlantic, with descriptions of three new species, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 139 (1), pp. 93-127 : 97

FAMILY GRIMPOTEUTHIDAE O’SHEA, 1999

New diagnosis

Small to large octopods with bell-shaped, semigelatinous body; thick primary web, intermediate (secondary) web absent. White (areolar) spots absent. Fins medium to large, lateral, with distinct lobe near the anterior fin insertion. Eyes lateral. Gills of half-orange form. Optic lobe spherical; optic nerves pass through white body as a single bundle of fibres. Fin-supporting cartilage (shell) U-shaped, outer edges of lateral walls parallel, not tapered to single fine points. Radula present or absent. Posterior salivary glands present or absent. Digestive gland entire or bilobed.

Remarks

Diagnosis revised to include the genera Grimpoteuthis , Luteuthis and Enigmatiteuthis . There is little molecular ( Piertney et al., 2003) or morphological (see below) evidence to support the separation of the family Luteuthidae .