See text Uroteuthis is a genus of 14 species of common inshore squids of the Indo-West Pacific and is further subdivided into 3 subgenera.

The members of the genus Uroteuthis are the only squids of the family Loliginidae that possess photophores (light-emitting organs) and all species in the genus have a pair of photophore organs on the ventral surface of their ink sac either side of their intestine.

As with all other members of the family Loliginidae, they have a cornea that covers the lens of each eye, and have a gladius that extends the full length of the mantle and a gill that has a branchial canal.

They are distributed widely throughout the Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific, as well as the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf.

The species within the genus are commercially important targets for large scale and artisanal fisheries.