A. aldrichi is a small species of squid found in northern Australian waters. The species was described by Chung Cheng Lu in 2005 based on specimens collected in the inshore waters of Northern Australia. The largest known individual of this species is a mature female measuring in mantle length (ML). The holotype is a mature male of ML. A live specimen of A. aldrichi has yet to be recorded.
A. aldrichi is a member of the class Cephalopoda and part of the subclass Coleoidea. Within this class there are two orders, the Myopsida and the Oegopsida, which both fall under the superorder Decapodiformes. A. aldrichi falls under the order of Myopsida, and is the only member of its genus, Australiteuthis, and the family, Australiteuthidae.
The Myopsida order is made up of two families, the Australiteuthidae and Loliginidae. The squid which fall under the order of Myopsida are nertic squid that typically dwell in shallow waters and appear in large schools. Within the family of Loliginidae, species such as the Loligo forbesii, also known as the veined and long-finned squid, may reach sizes up to in mantle length.[1] A. aldrichi, however, are much more similar in size to members of the genus Pickfordiateuthis,