Steenstrup, 1861 (including Pickfordiateuthidae Voss, 1953; subfamilies not listed)
Mantle elongated, its anterior margin with mid-dorsal projection. Eye covered by transparent corneal membrane with only minute pore at anterior end. Tentacles not retractable. Arms with 2, tentacles with 4 rows of suckers, without hooks. Minute suckers may be present on buccal membrane. Buccal membrane with 8 lappets, connectives to 4th arms attached ventrally. Funnel cartilage straight, elongated. Gladius feather-like, with short free rachis. Two (rarely one) photophores present on ink sac in some species. Three to five subfamilies, 8-15 genera. Neritic nektobenthic animals with bottom egg-masses, eggs surrounded by capsules of thick tough jelly. Larvae not very different from adults. Larvae of different species very similar, distinguished mostly by number and disposition of chromatophores (which may fade after fixation). In the South Atlantic 6-7 genera.
Planctonic stages recorded for:
Lolliguncula brevis
Loligo vulgaris