Cephalopod size
Encyclopedia
Cephalopod
A cephalopod is any member of the molluscan class Cephalopoda . These exclusively marine animals are characterized by bilateral body symmetry, a prominent head, and a set of arms or tentacles modified from the primitive molluscan foot...
science to the general public. This article lists the largest cephalopods from various groups, sorted in order of mantle
Mantle (mollusc)
The mantle is a significant part of the anatomy of molluscs: it is the dorsal body wall which covers the visceral mass and usually protrudes in the form of flaps well beyond the visceral mass itself.In many, but by no means all, species of molluscs, the epidermis of the mantle secretes...
length, total length, weight, and shell diameter. Extinct taxa
Taxon
|thumb|270px|[[African elephants]] form a widely-accepted taxon, the [[genus]] LoxodontaA taxon is a group of organisms, which a taxonomist adjudges to be a unit. Usually a taxon is given a name and a rank, although neither is a requirement...
are also included.
Mantle length
| Octopoda (octopuses) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Maximum mantle length | References | Notes | ||
| Haliphron atlanticus | 0.69 m | O'Shea (2004) | |||
| Enteroctopus dofleini | 0.6 m | Norman (2000:214) | |||
| Sepiida (cuttlefish) | |||||
| Species | Maximum mantle length | References | Notes | ||
| Sepia apama | 0.5 m | Reid et al. (2005:68) | |||
| Sepia latimanus | 0.5 m | Reid et al. (2005:92) | |||
| Sepia hierredda | <0.5 m | Reid et al. (2005:88) | |||
| Sepia officinalis | 0.49 m | Reid et al. (2005:99) | |||
| Sepia pharaonis | 0.42 m | Reid et al. (2005:107) | |||
| Sepia lycidas | 0.38 m | Reid et al. (2005:96) | |||
| Sepia ramani | 0.375 m | Reid et al. (2005:114) | |||
| Sepiolida (bobtail squid) | |||||
| Species | Maximum mantle length | References | Notes | ||
| Austrorossia antillensis | 0.09 m | Reid & Jereb (2005:192) | |||
| Rossia pacifica | 0.09 m (female) | Reid & Jereb (2005:185) | Male grows to 45 mm in mantle length (Reid & Jereb, 2005). | ||
| Rossia macrosoma | 0.085 m | Reid & Jereb (2005:184) | More typically the mantle length is 20–60 mm (Reid & Jereb, 2005). | ||
| Neorossia caroli | 0.083 m (female) | Reid & Jereb (2005:190) | Male grows to 51 mm in mantle length (Reid & Jereb, 2005). | ||
| Spirulida Spirulida Spirulida is an order of cephalopods comprising one extant species and several extinct taxa.-Classification:*Order Spirulida**?Family Shimanskyidae**Suborder †Groenlandibelina***Family †Groenlandibelidae... (Ram's Horn Squid) (only one extant species) |
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| Species | Maximum mantle length | References | Notes | ||
| Spirula spirula | rarely exceeds 0.045 m | Reid (2005:211) | |||
| Teuthida (squid) | |||||
| Species | Maximum mantle length | References | Notes | ||
| Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni | 4 m (estimate) | O'Shea (2005a) | Estimate based on largest known beak (LRL: 49 mm). | ||
| Galiteuthis phyllura Galiteuthis phyllura Galiteuthis phyllura is a species of glass squid, possibly the largest in the genus.In 1984, the Russian stern-trawler Novoulianovsk brought up the remains of a gigantic specimen of G. phyllura from a depth of 1000–1300 m in the Sea of Okhotsk... |
2.65–2.75 m (estimate) | Nesis (1985) | Estimate based on 0.4 m long arm and 1.15 m tentacle. | ||
| Architeuthis sp. | 2.25 m | O'Shea (2005a) | |||
| Onykia robusta | 2 m | Norman (2000:174) | Kubodera et al. (1998) give maximum of at least 1.615 m. | ||
| Megalocranchia fisheri Megalocranchia fisheri Megalocranchia fisheri is a species of glass squid. Its natural range covers at least the waters off Hawaii. The species may attain a mantle length of and a total length of over , making it one of the largest species of squid, together with the Colossal Squid , giant squid , and Robust Clubhook... |
1.8 m | Tsuchiya & Okutani (1993) | |||
| Dosidicus gigas | 1.75 m | Glaubrecht & Salcedo-Vargas (2004) | Norman (2000:165) gives maximum of 1.5 m. | ||
| Taningia danae | 1.7 m | Nesis (1982) | |||
| Kondakovia longimana Kondakovia longimana Kondakovia longimana, also known as the Giant Warty Squid or Longarm Octopus Squid, is a large species of hooked squid. It attains a mantle length of at least 85 cm and probably over 1.15 m. The largest complete specimen of this species, measuring 2.3 m in total length, was found in Antarctica in... |
probably 1.15+ m (estimate) | O'Shea (2005b) | Longest confirmed specimen measures 0.85 m (O'Shea, 2005b). Total length to at least 2.3 m (Carrington, 2000). | ||
| Lepidoteuthis grimaldii | 1 m | Young & Vecchione (2009) | |||
| Thysanoteuthis rhombus | 1 m | Roper et al. (1984) | Commonly grows to a mantle length of 0.6 m (Roper et al., 1984). | ||
| cf. Magnapinna | ~1 m (estimate) | Vecchione et al. (2001) | Estimate based on specimen observed by ROV Tiburon in May 2001, north of Oahu Oahu Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast... , Hawaii Hawaii Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of... , at a depth of 3380 m. |
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| Vampyromorphida Vampyromorphida Vampyromorphida is an order of cephalopods comprising one known extant species and many extinct taxa. Physically, they somewhat resemble octopuses, but the eight main tentacles are united by a web of skin, and two smaller tentacles are also present.-Classification:*Order Vampyromorphida**?Suborder... (Vampire Squid) (only one extant species) |
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| Species | Maximum mantle length | References | Notes | ||
| Vampyroteuthis infernalis | 0.13 m | Nesis (1982) | |||
†The taxonomy of the giant squid has not been entirely resolved. Lumpers and splitters
Lumpers and splitters
Lumping and splitting refers to a well-known problem in any discipline which has to place individual examples into rigorously defined categories. The lumper/splitter problem occurs when there is the need to create classifications and assign examples to them, for example schools of literature,...
may propose as many as eight species or as few as one. No genetic or physical basis for distinguishing between the named species has been proposed.
Total length
| Octopoda (octopuses) Not to be confused with armspan, which is approximately double the total length. |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Maximum total length | References | Notes | ||
| Enteroctopus dofleini | >6.1 m | Cosgrove (1987) | |||
| Haliphron atlanticus | 4 m (estimate) | O'Shea (2004) | Estimate based on incomplete 2.90 m specimen. | ||
| Teuthida (squid) Total length including long feeding tentacles. |
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| Species | Maximum total length | References | Notes | ||
| Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni | 14 m (estimate) | O'Shea (2005a) | Estimate based on largest known beak (LRL: 49 mm). | ||
| Architeuthis sp. | 13 m (female) | O'Shea (2005a) | Measured post mortem and relaxed. Older records were exaggerated by stretching of the tentacles (O'Shea, 2005a). | ||
| cf. Magnapinna | at least 8 m (estimate) | Bolstad (2003) | Estimate based on video evidence. | ||
| Asperoteuthis acanthoderma Asperoteuthis acanthoderma Asperoteuthis acanthoderma is a species of squid belonging to the family Chiroteuthidae. It is characterised by the tiny, pointed tubercules present on its skin and a Y-shaped groove in the funnel locking-apparatus.... |
5.5 m | Tsuchiya & Okutani (1993) | Length of immature specimen measuring 0.45 m ML. Largest known specimen (0.78 m ML) would presumably be longer if it were complete (Okutani, 1995). | ||
| Onykia robusta | over 4 m | Verrill (1876) | |||
| Galiteuthis phyllura Galiteuthis phyllura Galiteuthis phyllura is a species of glass squid, possibly the largest in the genus.In 1984, the Russian stern-trawler Novoulianovsk brought up the remains of a gigantic specimen of G. phyllura from a depth of 1000–1300 m in the Sea of Okhotsk... |
over 4 m (estimate) | Nesis (1985) | Estimate based on 0.40 m long arm and 1.15 m tentacle. | ||
Weight
| Octopoda (octopuses) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Maximum weight | References | Notes | ||
| Haliphron atlanticus | 75 kg (estimate) | O'Shea (2004) | Estimate based on incomplete 61.0 kg specimen. | ||
| Enteroctopus dofleini | 71 kg | Cosgrove (1987) | Weight of live specimen. There exists a highly dubious record of a 272 kg specimen (High, 1976). | ||
| Sepiida (cuttlefish) | |||||
| Species | Maximum weight | References | Notes | ||
| Sepia apama | >10.5 kg | Reid et al. (2005:68) | |||
| Sepia latimanus | 10 kg | Reid et al. (2005:92) | |||
| Sepia hierredda | >7.5 kg | Reid et al. (2005:88) | |||
| Sepia lycidas | 5 kg | Reid et al. (2005:96) | |||
| Sepia pharaonis | 5 kg | Reid et al. (2005:107) | |||
| Sepia officinalis | 4 kg | Reid et al. (2005:99) | |||
| Teuthida (squid) | |||||
| Species | Maximum weight | References | Notes | ||
| Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni | 495 kg | [Anonymous] (2007) | Weight of mature specimen caught in early 2007. Originally estimated to weigh 450 kg (Anderton, 2007). | ||
| Architeuthis sp. | 275 kg (female) | O'Shea (2005a) | |||
| Taningia danae | 61.4 kg | Kubodera et al. (2006) | |||
| Onykia robusta | 50 kg | Roper et al. (1984) | |||
| Dosidicus gigas | 50 kg | Nigmatullin et al. (2001) | |||
| Thysanoteuthis rhombus | 30 kg | Miyahara et al. (2006) | |||
Shell diameter
| Nautilida Nautilida The Nautilida constitute a large and diverse order of generally coiled nautiloid cephalopods that began in the mid Paleozoic and continues to the present with a single family, the Nautilidae which includes two genera, Nautilus and Allonautilus, with six species... (nautiluses) (all extant species listed) |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Maximum shell diameter | References | Notes | ||
| Nautilus pompilius pompilius | 268 mm | http://www.conchology.be/?t=68&u=118764&g=0d16facb6ebae4a31321e9f6e6298f46&q=a1d787a5674deb7b193549c6ccdff907 | Pisor (2005:93) lists maximum shell diameter of 254.0 mm. Nautilus repertus is treated here in synonymy with N. pompilius pompilius. Pisor (2005:93) lists 230.0 mm record for N. repertus. | ||
| Nautilus belauensis | 226 mm | Jereb (2005:54) | |||
| Allonautilus scrobiculatus | 215.0 mm | Pisor (2005:93) | |||
| Nautilus stenomphalus | 201.0 mm | Pisor (2005:93) | |||
| Allonautilus perforatus Allonautilus perforatus Allonautilus perforatus is a species of nautilus native to the waters around Bali, Indonesia. It is known only from drifted shells and, as such, is the least studied of the six recognised nautilus species.... |
around 180 mm | Jereb (2005:55) | |||
| Nautilus macromphalus | 180.0 mm | Pisor (2005:93) | |||
| Nautilus pompilius suluensis | 160 mm | http://www.conchology.be/?t=68&u=626793&g=1e1012d7a54ee03e9e40db969f89b3c8&q=a84eff41a380577a0fc6c2eada7d1fd4 | Pisor (2005:93) lists maximum shell diameter of 148.0 mm. | ||
| Octopoda (octopuses) (all extant Argonauta species listed) Females of the genus Argonauta Argonaut (animal) The argonauts are a group of pelagic octopuses. They are also called paper nautiluses, referring to the paper-thin eggcase that females secrete... produce a calcareous eggcase in which they reside. |
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| Species | Maximum shell diameter | References | Notes | ||
| Argonauta argo | 300.0 mm | Pisor (2005:12) | |||
| Argonauta nodosa | 292.0 mm | Pisor (2005:12) | |||
| Argonauta pacifica | 220.0 mm | Pisor (2005:12) | |||
| Argonauta hians | 112.6 mm | Pisor (2005:12) | |||
| Argonauta cornuta Argonauta cornuta Argonauta cornuta is a species of pelagic octopus belonging to the genus Argonauta. The female of the species, like all argonauts, creates a paper-thin eggcase that coils around the octopus much like the way a nautilus lives in its shell... |
98.6 mm | Pisor (2005:12) | |||
| Argonauta nouryi | 95.5 mm | Pisor (2005:12) | |||
| Argonauta bottgeri | 67.0 mm | Pisor (2005:12) | |||
| Spirulida Spirulida Spirulida is an order of cephalopods comprising one extant species and several extinct taxa.-Classification:*Order Spirulida**?Family Shimanskyidae**Suborder †Groenlandibelina***Family †Groenlandibelidae... (Ram's Horn Squid) (only one extant species) The Ram's Horn Squid possesses a chambered internal shell, which it uses for buoyancy Buoyancy In physics, buoyancy is a force exerted by a fluid that opposes an object's weight. In a column of fluid, pressure increases with depth as a result of the weight of the overlying fluid. Thus a column of fluid, or an object submerged in the fluid, experiences greater pressure at the bottom of the... control. |
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| Species | Maximum shell diameter | References | Notes | ||
| Spirula spirula | 28.8 mm | http://www.conchology.be/?t=68&u=126690&g=e8a21ed471661c24ca2aea9f5ea70400&q=4e4d53268a89f2aef5613d13d96327f0 | Pisor (2005:108) lists maximum shell diameter of 26.9 mm. | ||
Species status questionable.
Extinct taxa
| Ammonoidea (ammonites) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Maximum shell diameter | References | Notes | ||
| Parapuzosia seppenradensis Parapuzosia seppenradensis Parapuzosia seppenradensis is the largest known species of ammonite. It lived during the Late Cretaceous period. A specimen found in Germany in 1895 measures 1.95 m in diameter, although the living chamber is incomplete. It is estimated that if complete, this specimen would have had a diameter of... |
2.55 m (estimate) | Kennedy & Kaplan (1995) | Estimate based on 1.95 m diameter specimen with an incomplete living chamber. | ||
| Belemnoidea Belemnoidea Belemnoids are an extinct group of marine cephalopod, very similar in many ways to the modern squid and closely related to the modern cuttlefish. Like them, the belemnoids possessed an ink sac, but, unlike the squid, they possessed ten arms of roughly equal length, and no tentacles... (belemnites) |
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| Species | Maximum rostrum length | References | Notes | ||
| Megateuthis gigantea Megateuthis gigantea Megateuthis gigantea is the largest known belemnite species. The guard of M. gigantea, which has been found in Europe and Asia, can measure up to 46 centimetres in length , giving the living animal an estimated length of 3 metres .... |
0.46 m | Eyden (2003) | The whole belemnite is estimated to have been 3–5 m long. | ||
| Nautiloidea (nautiloids) | |||||
| Species | Maximum shell length | References | Notes | ||
| Cameroceras sp. | 11 m (estimate) | Teichert & Kümmel (1960) | Frey (1995) gives a maximum length of up to 6 m. | ||
| Vampyromorphida Vampyromorphida Vampyromorphida is an order of cephalopods comprising one known extant species and many extinct taxa. Physically, they somewhat resemble octopuses, but the eight main tentacles are united by a web of skin, and two smaller tentacles are also present.-Classification:*Order Vampyromorphida**?Suborder... (vampire squid) |
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| Species | Maximum mantle length | References | Notes | ||
| Tusoteuthis longa | over 1.8 m (estimate) | Eyden (2004) | |||