Oegopsina

Oegopsina
Oegopsina
Moroteuthis ingens
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Cephalopoda
Subclass: Coleoidea
Order: Teuthida
Suborder: Oegopsina
Orbigny, 1845
Families

See text.
Synonyms
  • Decapoda
    Leach, 1817
Ommastrephes bartramii

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.

The Oegopsina are deep sea pelagic squid comprising some 24 families and 69 genera. They have the following characters in common: the head is without tentacle pockets, eyes lack a corneal covering, arms and tentacle clubs may have hooks, the buccal supports are without suckers, and oviducts in females are paired.

Two families, the Bathyteuthidae and Chtenopterygidae, which have features characteristic of the Myopsina while retaining others common to the Oegopsina, are sometimes placed in the Bathyteuthoidea.

The Oegopsina differ from the coastal Myopsina, characterised by the genus Loligo, which have corneal coverings over the eyes and tentacle pockets but lack hooks, have no suckers on the buccal supports and a single oviduct.

Oegopsid squid are the only decapods that lack a pocket for the tentacles. Otherwise they share different characters with different decapod groups. Like the Bathyteuthoidea and Myopsina, the Oegopsina have a brachial canal, which is absent in other forms. As with the Spirulidae and Idiosepiidae, the Oegposina lack suckers on the buccal supports, and like the Bathyteuthoidea, Idiosepiidae, and Spirulidae they have no circular muscle on the suckers.

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