Plesioteuthidae Naef, 1921

Family Plesioteuthidae Naef, 1921 Genus Dorateuthis Woodward, 1883

Type species: Dorateuthis syriaca Woodward, 1883 , by monotypy; upper Santonian , Sahel Aalma, Lebanon .

Included species: Dorateuthis syriaca Woodward, 1883 , is the only species that can be assigned with certainty. Neololigosepia stahleckeri Reitner & Engeser, 1982 , and Maioteuthis morroensis Reitner & Engeser, 1982 (Barremian, Cape Verde Islands); Plesioteuthis sp. of Enges- er and Reitner (1985) and Maioteuthis damesi Engeser & Reitner, 1985 (Aptian, Heligoland, Germany); Plesioteuthis arcuata von der Marck, 1873 (Campanian, Germany), and Plesioteuthis maestrichtensis Binkhorst van den Binkhorst, 1861 (Maastrichtian, The Netherlands) are all assigned to this genus based on their narrow gladius and continuous lateral keels, though they are represented by poorly preserved individuals.

Emended diagnosis (modified from Fuchs 2020).—Very small to medium-sized (mantle length < 50–400 mm). Gladius very slender to slender (gladius widthmax to gladius length 0.05–0.19). Central reinforcements variable; median line or ridge but no keel; uni- or bipartite. Median field very slender (apical angle <12°), median field area very large (median field area to gladius area>0.8). Anterior margin slightly convex. Lateral keels (reinforcements) pronounced, present from anterior to posterior margins. Lateral fields variable: absent, anterior (field length to gladius lengthmax ratio 0.8–0.9), posterior (field length to gladius lengthmax ratio ~0.3); narrow when present. Conus ventrally closed (conus lengthmax to gladius lengthmax ratio 0.03–0.05). Arm length moderate (arm length to mantle length ratio ~0.5); elongated dorsal pair. Cephalic cartilage ring-shaped in lateral view. Fins anteriorly rounded, “oar-shaped”.

Stratigraphic and geographic range.—Barremian (Lower Cretaceous)–Maastrichtian (Upper Cretaceous): Lebanon, northern Germany, Cape Verde Islands, the Netherlands.