Trachyteuthis

Trachyteuthis is a genus of extinct octopodiform cephalopods, comprising six species: T. hastiformis, T. latipinnis, T. nusplingensis, T. teudopsiformis,^[2] T. covacevichi^[3] and T. chilensis.^[1]

Trachyteuthis Temporal range: Callovian–Cenomanian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Reconstruction of Trachyteuthis hastiformis
Trachyteuthis hastiformis, Jura Museum
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Cephalopoda
Subclass:	Coleoidea
Superorder:	Octopodiformes
Order:	incertae sedis
Family:	Trachyteuthididae Naef, 1922
Subfamily:	Trachyteuthidinae Naef, 1921
Genus:	Trachyteuthis Meyer, 1846
Species
T. chilensis Riccardi, 2016[1] T. covacevichi Fuchs, 2008 T. hastiformis (Rüppel, 1828) T. latipinnis (Owen, 1855) T. nusplingensis Fuchs, 2007 T. teudopsiformis Fuchs, 2007

Taxonomy

The taxonomic placement of Trachyteuthis is uncertain. Though often assigned to the order Vampyromorphida, the discovery of fossilised Trachyteuthis beaks in the Upper Jurassic limestone of Germany suggests a close phylogenetic relation to the Octopoda.^[4][5] It is clear that it does at least belong in the Coleoidea.^[2] It is thought to be very closely related to Teudopsis.^[3]

Distribution

Fossils are scarce but have been reported from the Kimmeridge clay of the UK; the Solnhofen limestone of Germany, Jurassic deposits in Antarctica,^[6] and Oxfordian deposits in Chile.^[3]

History

Fossilised gladius structure of T. hastiformis

First described in 1773 as the remnants of a fish, Trachyteuthis was considered comparable to a Sepia cuttlebone by Rüppell in 1829. A separate genus was erected for the material in 1846 by Meyer.^[2] English material discovered in 1855 was termed Coccoteuthis latipinnis; this was later synonymised with the identical Solnhofen deposits. A 2007 survey of museum collection established that there were ground for the erection of three species within the genus.^[2]