''Sepioteuthis'', commonly known as reef squids or oval squids, is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
of
pencil squid. Reef squids are easily recognizable by their large rounded fins that extend along almost the entire length of their
mantles, giving them a superficial resemblance to
cuttlefish.
Species
Three species are currently recognized,
though ''S. australis'' and ''S. lessoniana'' are believed to be
cryptic species complex
In biology, a species complex is a group of closely related organisms that are so similar in appearance and other features that the boundaries between them are often unclear. The taxa in the complex may be able to hybridize readily with each oth ...
es.
:*''
Sepioteuthis australis'', southern reef squid or southern calamary
:*''
Sepioteuthis lessoniana
''Sepioteuthis lessoniana'', commonly known as the bigfin reef squid, glitter squid or oval squid, is a species of loliginid squid. It is one of the three currently recognized species belonging to the genus ''Sepioteuthis''. Studies in 1993, ...
'', bigfin reef squid or northern calamary
:*''
Sepioteuthis sepioidea
The Caribbean reef squid (''Sepioteuthis sepioidea''), commonly called the reef squid, is a species of small, torpedo-shaped squid with undulating fins that extend nearly the entire length of the body, approximately in length. In 2001, marine b ...
'', Caribbean reef squid
An additional species, ''
S. loliginiformis'', was described in 1828, but its validity is questionable. However, if the species turns out to be the same as ''S. australis'' or ''S. lessoniana'', ''S. loliginiformis'' would be the
senior synonym
The Botanical and Zoological Codes of nomenclature treat the concept of synonymy differently.
* In botanical nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that applies to a taxon that (now) goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linnae ...
and replace the younger name currently in use.
References
External links
Tree of Life web project: Loliginidae
Squid
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