Brachioteuthids are small to medium sized squids (ca. 15 cm ML). The mantle is muscular but generally rather thin. The tentacular clubs are unusual: The dactylus is normal (four sucker series) but the proximal part of the manus is greatly expanded and carries numerous small suckers on long stalks. Another unusual feature is the compact digestive gland that is located well posterior to the cephalic cartilage in the mantle cavity in young squid (see photographs of the paralarvae below).
Little is known about the biology of brachioteuthids although Roper and Vecchione (1996) describe an accumulation of Brachioteuthis beanii observed from a submersible near the ocean floor at a depth of about 800 m.
A list of all nominal genera and species in the Chtenopterygidae can be found below. The list includes the current status and type species of all genera, and the current status, type repository and type locality of all species and all pertinent references.
Brachioteuthis Verrill, 1881:405.
Entomopsis Rochebrune, 1884:21.
CURRENT SYSTEMATIC STATUS. -- Brachioteuthis Verrill, 1881 In 1880-1881 [fide Nesis (1987:222)]
TYPE SPECIES. -- Entomopsis velaini Rochebrune, 1884 by subsequent designation of Hoyle (1910:409)]
Slosarczykovia Lipinski, 2001:5.
CURRENT SYSTEMATIC STATUS. -- Taxon not yet reviewed
TYPE SPECIES. -- Slosarczykovia circumantarctica Lipinski, 2001 by monotypy.
Tracheloteuthis Steenstrup, 1882:293.
CURRENT SYSTEMATIC STATUS. -- Brachioteuthis Verrill, 1881 In 1880-1881 [fide Clark (1966:162)]
TYPE SPECIES. -- Tracheloteuthis riisei Steenstrup, 1882 by subsequent designation of Hoyle (1905b) [fide Hoyle (1910:413)]
Verrilliola Pfeffer, 1884:22.
CURRENT SYSTEMATIC STATUS. -- Brachioteuthis Verrill, 1881 [fide Nesis (1987:222)]
TYPE SPECIES. -- Verrilliola gracilis Pfeffer, 1884 by subsequent designation of Hoyle (1910:413)]
Entomopsis alicei Joubin, 1900:92 pls 11-12.
CURRENT SYSTEMATIC STATUS. -- Brachioteuthis riisei (Steenstrup, 1882) [fide Clarke (1966)]
TYPE REPOSITORY. -- Unresolved; MOM Syntypes (9); [stations 755, 760 and 916 not specifically listed in Belloc (1950:7)]
TYPE LOCALITY. -- Off coast of Portugal; north of Ferrol; North of the Corogne (all from stomachs of tuna)
Brachioteuthis beanii Verrill, 1881 in 1880-1881:406, pl 55 fig 3-3b, pl 56 fig 2-2a.
CURRENT SYSTEMATIC STATUS. -- Valid species [fide Nesis (1987:223)]
TYPE REPOSITORY. -- NMNH Syntypes 574640 and 729736 [fide Roper and Sweeney (1978:4)]
TYPE LOCALITY. -- 39°57'N, 69°19'W and 39°56'N, 69°24'W (Atlantic Ocean)
Tracheloteuthis behnii Steenstrup, 1882:294.
CURRENT SYSTEMATIC STATUS. -- Valid species; Brachioteuthis behnii [fide Nesis (1987:223)]
TYPE REPOSITORY. -- ZMUC Syntypes (3) [fide Kristensen and Knudsen (1983:221)]
TYPE LOCALITY. -- Indian Ocean (purchased); West coast of New Guinea; no locality
Brachioteuthis bowmani Russell, 1909:449.
CURRENT SYSTEMATIC STATUS. -- Valid species? [fide Nesis (1987:223)]
TYPE REPOSITORY. -- Type not extant [fide Toll (1985:601)]
TYPE LOCALITY. -– Scotland
Slosarczykovia circumantarctica Lipinski, 2001:6, figs 3e-g, 5b-c, 6b, 7-8, 9b-c, 10b-c, 11b.
CURRENT SYSTEMATIC STATUS. -- Taxon not yet reviewed
TYPE REPOSITORY. -- SAM Holotype S-3949
TYPE LOCALITY. –- off Wilkes Land, Antarctica
Entomopsis clouei Rochebrune, 1884:22.
CURRENT SYSTEMATIC STATUS. --?Brachioteuthis behni (Steenetrup, 1882) [fide Nesis (1987:223)]
TYPE REPOSITORY. -- MNHN Type; specimen not extant [fide Lu et al. (1995:313)] [examined at MNHN by G.L. Voss (pers. comm.)]
TYPE LOCALITY. -- Atlantic Ocean
Verrilliola gracilis Pfeffer, 1884:22, figs 28-28d.
CURRENT SYSTEMATIC STATUS. -- Brachioteuthis behni (Steenstrup, 1882) [fide Nesis (1987:223)]
TYPE REPOSITORY. -- ZMH Holotype [species not traced in Guerrero-Kommritz (2001)]
TYPE LOCALITY. -- Solomon Islands
Tracheloteuthis guernei Joubin, 1895:34, pls 1-2.
CURRENT SYSTEMATIC STATUS. -- Brachioteuthis sp.? [fide Nesis (1987:222)]
TYPE REPOSITORY. -- MOM Syntypes (2) [station 262] [fide Belloc (1950:6)]
TYPE LOCALITY. -- Off tip of Brittany (47°17'17"N, 11°58'51"W), France (from stomach of tuna, Thunnus alalonga)
Brachioteuthis linkovskyi Lipinski, 2001:5, figs 2, 3a-d, 4, 5a,d, 6a, 9a, 10a, 11a.
CURRENT SYSTEMATIC STATUS. -- Taxon not yet reviewed
TYPE REPOSITORY. -- SAM Holotype S-3948
TYPE LOCALITY. -- 600 miles SE of Montevideo [Uruguay]
Verrilliola nympha Pfeffer, 1884:23, figs 29-29a.
CURRENT SYSTEMATIC STATUS. -- Brachioteuthis riisei (Steenstrup, 1882) [fide Nesis (1987:223)]
TYPE REPOSITORY. -- ZMH Syntypes (6) [species not traced in Guerrero-Kommritz (2001)]
TYPE LOCALITY. -- Chile (3); Zanzibar (3)
Brachioteuthis picta Chun, 1910:207, pls 29-32.
CURRENT SYSTEMATIC STATUS. -- Valid species [fide Nesis (1987:222)]
TYPE REPOSITORY. -- ZMB Holotype Moll.-102155 [fide Glaubrecht and Salcedo-Vargas (2000:278)]
TYPE LOCALITY. -- 5°6'N, 9°58'E[?W] (Benguela Current)
Tracheloteuthis riisei Steenstrup, 1882:294.
CURRENT SYSTEMATIC STATUS. -- Valid species; Brachioteuthis riisei [fide Nesis (1987:223)]
TYPE REPOSITORY. -- ZMUC Holotype [fide Kristensen and Knudsen (1983:223)]
TYPE LOCALITY. -- 34°40'S, 7°W (Atlantic Ocean)
Entomopsis velaini Rochebrune, 1884:21, pl 2 figs 7-11.
CURRENT SYSTEMATIC STATUS. -- Brachioteuthis riisei (Steenstrup, 1882) [fide Nesis (1987:223)]
TYPE REPOSITORY. -- MNHN Type; type not extant [fide Lu et al. (1995:327)]
TYPE LOCALITY. -- St. Paul Island [38o43'S, 77o32'E, S. Indian Ocean]
An oegopsid with ...
Seven species are presently recognized in the family, but more are known to exist:
Brachioteuthis beanii (Verrill, 1881)
Brachioteuthis riisei (Steenstrup, 1882)
Brachioteuthis behnii (Steenstrup, 1882)
Brachioteuthis bowmani (Russell, 1909)
Brachioteuthis picta (Chun, 1910)
Brachioteuthis linkovskyi (Lipinski, 2001)
Slosarczykovia circumantarctica (Lipinski, 2001)