page_title: Ommastrephidae
section_title: Taxonomy
hierarchical_section_title: Ommastrephidae / Taxonomy
caption_attribution_description: English: A squid - Illex illecebrosus - cruising over a sandy area of the bank. Massachusetts, Stellwagen Bank NMS.
context_page_description: Ommastrephidae is a family of squid containing three subfamilies, 11 genera, and over 20 species. They are widely distributed globally and are extensively fished for food. One species, Todarodes pacificus, comprises around half of the world's cephalopod catch annually.
  Some members of Ommastrephidae are known to have the ability to glide out of water, earning them the common name of "flying squid".
context_section_description: Ommastrephidae was first established by the Danish zoologist Japetus Steenstrup in 1857. It is classified under the suborder Oegopsina of the order Teuthida (squids). It is divided into three subfamilies - Illicinae, Ommastrephinae, and Todarodinae; further subdivided into 11 genera and more than 20 species.
  These subfamilies, genera, species, and subspecies are classified under Ommastrephidae:
  Family Ommastrephidae
  Subfamily Illicinae
  Genus Illex
  Illex argentinus, Argentine shortfin squid
  Illex coindetii, southern shortfin squid
  Illex illecebrosus, northern shortfin squid
  Illex oxygonius, sharptail shortfin squid
  Subfamily Ommastrephinae
  Genus Dosidicus
  Dosidicus gigas, Humboldt squid, jumbo flying squid or jumbo squid
  Genus Eucleoteuthis
  Eucleoteuthis luminosa, striped squid or luminous flying squid
  Genus Hyaloteuthis
  Hyaloteuthis pelagica, glassy flying squid
  Genus Ommastrephes
  Ommastrephes bartramii, neon flying squid or red flying squid
  Genus Ornithoteuthis
  Ornithoteuthis antillarum, Atlantic bird squid
  Ornithoteuthis volatilis, shiny bird squid
  Genus Sthenoteuthis
  Sthenoteuthis oualaniensis, purpleback squid or purpleback flying squid
  Sthenoteuthis pteropus, orangeback squid or orangeback flying squid
  Subfamily Todarodinae
  Genus Martialia
  Martialia hyadesii, sevenstar flying squid
  Genus Nototodarus
  Nototodarus gouldi, Gould's flying squid
  Nototodarus hawaiiensis, Hawaiian flying squid
  Nototodarus sloanii, Wellington flying squid or New Zealand arrow squid
  Genus Todarodes
  Todarodes angolensis, Angola flying squid
  Todarodes filippovae, Antarctic flying squid
  Todarodes pacificus, Japanese flying squid or Japanese common squid
  Todarodes pusillus, little flying squid
  Todarodes sagittatus, European flying squid
  Genus Todaropsis
  Todaropsis eblanae, lesser flying squid
caption: Northern shortfin squid
  (Illex illecebrosus)
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