Introduction

The family Loliginidae includes many species that are important in trophic systems, fisheries, and biomedical studies. Brakoniecki (1996) merged the Pickfordiateuthidae with the Loliginidae.

Loliginids are mostly neritic squids (i.e., they occupy waters over the continental shelves). Most are very muscular, "squid-like" in appearance and range in size from about 3 to 100 cm ML. All members of the family have a cornea that covers the lens of each eye. Among decapods, this feature is shared with all members of the Sepioidea but is absent in all oegopsid squids. Loliginids differ from sepioids in having a gladius that extends the full length of the mantle and a gill that (except in Pickfordiateuthis) has a branchial canal.

Brief diagnosis:

A myposid ...

• with straight funnel locking-apparatus.
• with mantle locking-apparatus reaching mantle margin.