Ommastrephinae


Ommastrephinae is a subfamily of squids under the family Ommastrephidae.

Description

Ommastrephinae includes the largest species of squids belonging to the family Ommastrephidae, Humboldt squid which can grow to in mantle length. It also contains the smallest squid species belonging to the family, the glass squid which has a mantle length of only up to. Ommastrephinae are mostly pelagic members of the family Ommastrephidae. All species of this subfamily contain photophores whose locations vary by species. Some species of the subfamily are known for their behavior of leaping out of the water.

Taxonomy

The name of the subfamily, like the family itself and one if its member genera, Ommastrephes, comes from Greek ὄμμα and -strephes. 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. They are the following: