Table 2 Comprehensive list of ovum, chorion, and egg capsule dimensions as well as characteristics differentiated by location within the female reproductive tract—data on species distribution obtained from Hochberg et al., (1992, 2014) and Collins and Villanueva (2006), values given in millimeters

Cirroteuthidae

 Cirroteuthis muelleri

North Atlantic, North Pacific, and Arctic Ocean; (0)-500–4854 m

1.1–10.9, 10.4 × 6.3; smooth or light wavy markings; fleshy

–

10–11, 11.2 × 8.8 to 12 × 9; smooth; brown

–

Reinhardt and Prosch (1846), Voss and Pearcy (1990), Nesis (2001), Knudsen and Roeleveld (2002)

 Cirrothauma magna

Atlantic and Indian Ocean; 1300–3351 m

1–14.5, 11.3 × 8; smooth

12.5

–

–

Guerra et al. (1998), Collins et al. (2001)

 Cirrothauma murrayi

Pacific, Atlantic, and Arctic Ocean; 2430–4850 m

9

11.3 × 8.2

13.8 × 8.4 to 14 × 8.9; rudiment of egg stalk; brown

-

Aldred et al. (1983), Ziegler and Miller (2022a)

 Stauroteuthis gilchristi

South Atlantic Ocean; 900–2604 m

3–9.5

–

–

–

Collins and Henriques (2000)

 Stauroteuthis syrtensis

North Atlantic Ocean; 450–4000 m

1–9.5; smooth

11 × 6.5

11 × 6 to 11 × 7; ends smooth, sides with numerous regular roughend elevated ribs; dark reddish or brown

–

Verrill (1882), Robson (1932), Collins and Henriques (2000)

Grimpoteuthitidae

 Cryptoteuthis brevibracchiata

Northeastern Atlantic Ocean; 2274–2300 m

–

–

–

–

Collins (2004)

 Grimpoteuthis abyssicola

Southwestern Pacific Ocean; 3154–3180 m

–

17.8 × 7; 19–20 longitudinal striations

–

–

O'Shea (1999)

 Grimpoteuthis boylei

Northeastern Atlantic Ocean; 4190–4848 m

3 × 2 to 15 × 9

16 × 10; longitudinal striations

18 × 11, 20 × 12

–

Collins (2003)

 Grimpoteuthis challengeri

Northeastern Atlantic Ocean; 4800–4850 m

5 × 2 to 12 × 7

13 × 8; smooth

–

–

Collins (2003)

 Grimpoteuthis discoveryi

Northeastern Atlantic Ocean; 2600–4870 m

2 × 1 to 8 × 4

10–11; smooth

–

–

Collins (2003)

 Grimpoteuthis innominata

Southwestern Pacific Ocean; 1705–2002 m

3 × 1.7

–

–

–

O'Shea (1999)

 Grimpoteuthis meangensis

Southwestern Pacific Ocean; 280–1050 m

–

12.2 × 6; 18 longitudinal striations

–

–

Robson (1932)

 Grimpoteuthis wuelkeri

Northeastern Atlantic Ocean; 1550–2056 m

11 × 5 to 15 × 9

14

–

–

Collins (2003)

 Grimpoteuthis sp.

Western Atlantic Ocean; 2880–3213 m

–

–

–

18; barrel-shaped with longitudinal striations (found free in mantle cavity)

Lipka (1975)

 Grimpoteuthis sp.

Western Atlantic Ocean; 2432–3018 m

–

12.5 × 7

–

–

Voss (1955), O'Shea (1999)

 Grimpoteuthis sp.

Northwestern Atlantic Ocean; 1975 m

–

15 × 12

–

20 × 14; rough and uneven; covered with coat of greenish mud

Verrill (1885)

 Grimpoteuthis sp.

Northwestern Atlantic Ocean; 1975 m

–

16 × 11

–

26 × 17; rough and uneven; covered with coat of greenish mud

Verrill (1885)

 Grimpoteuthis sp.

Northwestern Atlantic Ocean; 1965 m

–

–

–

19 × 14; rugose ornamentation; muddy brown

Shea et al. (2018)

 Luteuthis shuishi

Western Pacific Ocean; 754–767 m

–

–

–

17.8 × 11; smooth (found free in mantle cavity)

O'Shea and Lu (2002)

Cirroctopodidae

 Cirroctopus antarctica

Southern Ocean; 509–804 m

–

16 × 12; 14–16 longitudinal striations

–

–

Kubodera and Okutani (1986)

 Cirroctopus glacialis

Southern Ocean; 333–1208 m

Up to 16 × 10; longitudinal striations

16 × 10; smooth

21–22 × 14

22 × 14; irregular; beige

Vecchione et al. (1998), Rauschert and Arntz (2015), Ziegler and Miller (2022c)

 Cirroctopus hochbergi

Southwestern Pacific Ocean; 700–1350 m

-

11 × 8.5, 13 × 9.5; 16–18 very faint longitudinal striations

15.8 × 10; secreted egg capsule linked to another egg by long, thin stalk

8.5 × 5.4; irregular; khaki; 12 × 8; relatively smooth; khaki; 13.2 × 8.9; circular ridges; khaki; 14 × 8.2; irregular; khaki; 14.3 × 8.9 longitudinal ridges and circular lines; tan; 15.8 × 10; smooth; tan (all found free in mantle cavity)

O'Shea (1999)

Opisthoteuthidae

 Opisthoteuthis agassizii

Northwestern Atlantic Ocean; 227–1935 m

6 × 2.8 to 10.6 × 7.7; smooth when small, later with longitudinal striations

10.3 × 6.4; smooth; opaque

10.2 × 5.1, 14.3 × 8.9; smooth or with ornamentation; opaque

–

Cupka (1970), Villanueva et al. (2002), Collins (2005)

 Opisthoteuthis albatrossi

North Pacific Ocean; 457–3400 m

10 × 7

–

–

13

Sasaki (1929), Katugin et al. (2010)

 Opisthoteuthis borealis

North Atlantic Ocean; 957–1321 m

3–12; smooth

11–12; smooth

–

–

Collins (2005)

 Opisthoteuthis bruuni

Southeastern Pacific Ocean; 250–512 m

0.7 × 0.4 to 10 × 6; smooth up to 7, then with longitudinal striations

–

–

–

Pardo-Gandarillas et al. (2021)

 Opisthoteuthis californiana

Northeastern Pacific Ocean; 125–1600 m

9 × 5 to 11 × 6

10 × 5

–

–

Berry (1949, 1952), Pereyra (1965)

 Opisthoteuthis calypso

Eastern Atlantic Ocean; 365–2208 m

0.2 × 0.2 to 6.9 × 4 to 7.5; spherical up to 1, then oval; smooth up to 2, then reticulated, later folded from 3 onwards with 23–30 longitudinal striations; opaque

5.1 × 3.6 to 8 × 5; smooth; pinkish

7 × 4 to 10 × 5.4; highly irregular, sometimes with a rudimentary egg stalk; opaque

–

Villanueva (1992), Villanueva et al. (2002), Collins (2005), Cuccu et al. (2009), Sartor and Belcari (2009)

 Opisthoteuthis chathamensis

Southwestern Pacific Ocean; 900–1438 m

–

7.9 × 4; longitudinal striations

–

8.3 × 5.6; egg capsule deposited around chorion in spiral formation, dense pimple-like processes and longitudinal furrows and weak circular lines (found free in mantle cavity)

O'Shea (1999)

 Opisthoteuthis depressa

Northwestern Pacific Ocean; 130–1100 m

Up to 3 × 2; smooth or with longitudinal striations, but yet without chorion

–

–

9 × 5 to 10 × 7; smooth; white or brown

Meyer (1906), Komi et al. (2018)

 Opisthoteuthis dongshaensis

Western Pacific Ocean; 660–1015 m

3 × 2 to 8 × 4; smooth, later with 18–20 longitudinal striations; white, later beige

7 × 4; longitudinal striations; light honey-colored

8 × 5; longitudinal striations; light honey-colored

–

Lu (2010)

 Opisthoteuthis hardyi

South Atlantic Ocean; 630–1390 m

0.3–12; smooth

10.8 × 6

–

–

Collins et al. (2009)

 Opisthoteuthis massyae

Eastern Atlantic Ocean; 600–1450 m

0.2–12; chorion forms at 10; 24–28 longitudinal striations; yellow

9.3 × 4.8 to 10.4 × 5, 10.3 × 6.8; smooth or with faint longitudinal striations; pinkish

9 × 4.8 to 12 × 7; longitudinal striations, irregular structuring, rudimentary egg stalk

–

Sanchez and Guerra (1989), Villanueva (1992), Daly et al. (1998), Boyle and Daly (2000), Villanueva et al. (2002), Collins (2005)

 Opisthoteuthis mero

Southwestern Pacific Ocean; 360–1000 m

7.2 × 4.9; 15–18; smooth, later with longitudinal striations

7.2 × 4.9; longitudinal striations

7.2 × 4.9

–

O'Shea (1999)

 Opisthoteuthis sp.

Northeastern Pacific Ocean

–

7 × 4.8; 16–18 longitudinal striations

–

–

Hochberg et al. (1992)