Plesioteuthididae Naef, 1921

Introduction

The Prototeuthidina is a well-known group of gladius-bearing coleoids that probably appeared at the end of the Triassic period and disappeared during the latest Cretaceous. Its gladius and hence its mantle is very slender when compared with the other two subgroups. The prototeuthidid gladius is furthermore characterized by a ventrally close (funnel-like) conus.

Figure: Plesioteuthis prisca, Tithonian (late Jurassic), Solnhofen area (Germany). A) specimen in dorsal view preserved with gladius, mantle and fins, B) reconstruction of the gladius, C) imprints of an arm crown consisting of 8 arms, D) star-like arm imprints produced when the dead animal landed on the sea floor in an oral-end-down position. © Dirk Fuchs

Particularly late Jurassic Plesioteuthis prisca is in the focus of debates as its gladius superficially resembles an ommastrephid gladius. Since Plesioteuthis prisca and other prototeuthidids such as late Jurassic Senefelderiteuthis tricarinata or late Cretaceous Dorateuthis syriaca never show more than eight arms, Fuchs (2006a, b) and Fuchs et al. (2007b) regarded the Prototeuthidina as an extinct side branch of early Octopodiformes.

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Figure: Head and arm crown of Dorateuthis syriaca from the Cenomanian (late Cretaceous) of Hakel (Lebanon). © Dirk Fuchs

Characteristics

• conus ventrally closed (funnel-like)
• median field comparatively slender, triangular (anterior margin more or less straight), with median and lateral reinforcements
• hyperbolar zones reduced or absent
• lateral fields comparatively short, in most cases less than the half median field length.
  

Classification

Classification of Prototeuthidina Naef, 1921

• Plesioteuthididae Naef, 1921
  • Paraplesioteuthis Naef, 1921 (Toarcian)
    • Paraplesioteuthis sagittata (Münster, 1843) **
  • Romaniteuthis Fischer & Riou, 1982 (Callovian)
    • Romaniteuthis gevreyi (Roman, 1928)*
  • Romboteuthis Fischer & Riou, 1982 (Callovian)
    • Romboteuthis lehmanni Fischer & Riou, 1982*
  • Plesioteuthis Wagner, 1859 (Tithonian)
    • Plesioteuthis prisca (Rüppell, 1829)****
    • Plesioteuthis subovata (Münster, 1846)*
  • Senefelderiteuthis Engeser & Keupp, 1999
    
    • Senefelderiteuthis tricarinata (Münster, 1846)**
  • Dorateuthis Woodward, 1883 (Tithonian - Santonian)
    
    • Dorateuthis syriaca Woodward, 1883****
  • Nesisoteuthis Doguzhaeva, 2005 (Aptian)
    • Nesisoteuthis simbirskensis Doguzhaeva, 2005*
  • Boreopeltis Engeser & Reitner, 1985 (Tithonian - Cenomanian)
    • Boreopeltis sagittata (Naef, 1921)*
    • Boreopeltis helgolandiae Engeser & Reitner, 1985*
    • Boreopeltis sp.*
      
    • Boreopeltis soniae Wade, 1993**

(* only one specimen known; ** 2-5 specimens; *** 5-10 specimens; **** > 10 specimens)

Problematic or poorly known prototeuthidids

• “Loligosepia“ neidernachensis Reitner, 1978 (Triassic, Rhaetian)*
• “Plesioteuthis” arcuata von der Marck, 1873*
• “A.“ maestrichtensis Binkhorst v. Binkhorst, 1861*
• “Neololigosepia stahleckeri” Reitner & Engeser, 1982*
• “Plesioteuthis?” Hecker & Hecker, 1955*
• “Maioteuthis” damesi Engeser & Reitner, 1985*
• Plesioteuthis sp. Engeser & Reitner, 1985*
• “Maioteuthis” morroensis Reitner & Engeser, 1982*

Other Names for Plesioteuthididae Naef, 1921

• Prototeuthidina (stem group of the Octopodiformes) (non-monophyletic)

References

Fuchs, D. 2006a. Fossil erhaltungsfähige Merkmalskomplexe der Coleoidea (Cephalopoda) und ihre phylogenetische Bedeutung. Berliner Paläobiologische Abhandlungen 8: 1-115.

Fuchs, D. 2006b. Diversity, Taxonomy and Morphology of vampyropod Coleoids (Cephalopoda) from the Upper Cretaceous of Lebanon. Memorie della Società Italiana di Scienze Naturali et del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano 34(II): 1-28.

Fuchs, D., Klinghammer, A., & Keupp, H. 2007b. Taxonomy, morphology and phylogeny of plesioteuthidid coleoids from the Upper Jurassic (Tithonian) Plattenkalks of Solnhofen. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Abhandlungen 245(2): 239-252.