The Xiphoteuthididae Bather, 1892 (Aulacocerida, Coleoidea): an outline classification.

Problems in the classification of the Xiphoteuthididae have been recently addressed (Mariotti and Pignatti, 1992, 1994, 1996; Pignatti and Mariotti, 1996), but a critical revision is still lacking, owing mainly to their incomplete fossil record. The following outline of a classification summarizes diagnostic characters, taxonomie relationships, and geological occurrences of the genera currently included in the family Xiphoteuthididae: Atractites Gumbel, 1861, Breviatractites Mariotti and Pignatti, 1992, Claviatractites Mariotti and Pignatti, 1996, Crassiatractites Mariotti and Pignatti, 1992, Delphinoteuthis Mariotti and Pignatti, 1994, Metabelemnites Flower, 1944, Choanoteuthis Fischer, 1951, and Calliconites Gemmellaro, 1904. The taxonomic status of Choanoteuthis and the suprageneric attribution of Calliconites remain uncertain.