Luteuthis

Luteuthis is a small genus of cirrate octopuses currently placed in the family Grimpoteuthidae. There are two species classified in this genus one from waters west of New Zealand and the other from the South China Sea.

==Taxonomy== Luteuthis are characterized by several unique features. The body is relatively elongate, extensively gelatinous and lacking areolar spots. The paired fins are laterally placed, and supported by a W-shaped internal shell with the shell wings bearing in-rolled margins and tapering to acute points. The arms are narrow and connected by simple webbing, there is no web nodule acting as a web attachment point. The suckers are crenulated (around the aperture opening) and are flanked by rows of short cirri (cirri about half as long as the sucker diameter). The gills resemble a "half-orange" and have seven lamellae. Luteuthis species have a well developed radula as well as palatine teeth on the palps flanking the radula, and the digestive gland is bilobed. As with other cirrate octopods, the ink sac is missing.