The Chiroteuthidae are most notable for their unique paralarval stage, known as the doratopsis stage. Although morphology varies greatly within the family, the Chiroteuthidae are distinguished by their extremely elongated bodies and (in most species) tentacles; the latter may be up to four times the mantle length in "Asperoteuthis acanthoderma". The head is atop an elongated neck and the brachial pillar is well-developed, the eyes are large; in some "Planctoteuthis" and all "Chiroteuthis" species, the fourth pair of arms possess both greater girth and length than the other arms. The fragile, gelatinous body is conical and the neck cylindrical; the fins range from oval to elliptical, about 50% of the mantle length. The suckers of the arms occur in two series, and those of the clubs in four (but are absent in subadult "Grimalditeuthis" and absent proximally in "Asperoteuthis"). The club is elongated and—with the exception of "Planctoteuthis" species—is subdivided by symmetrical, protective membranes into two or three parts.