Cirrothauma
| Cirrothauma | |
|---|---|
| Cirrothauma murrayi | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Cephalopoda |
| Order: | Octopoda |
| Family: | Cirroteuthidae |
| Genus: | Cirrothauma Chun, 1911 |
| Type species | |
| Cirrothauma murrayi Chun, 1911 | |
Cirrothauma is a genus of deep water octopuses from the cirrate family Cirroteuthidae. The species of Cirrothauma are fragile, gelatinous deep-sea octopods with a large 'butterfly-shaped' shell.
They are unique in the Octopoda in being blind, with eyes lacking lenes and being imbedded/covered in head tissues. The genus contains a single species Cirrothauma murrayi.