Enteroctopus megalocyathus
| Southern red octopus | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Cephalopoda |
| Order: | Octopoda |
| Family: | Octopodidae |
| Genus: | Enteroctopus |
| Species: | E. megalocyathus |
| Binomial name | |
| Enteroctopus megalocyathus (Gould, 1852) | |
| Synonyms | |
Enteroctopus megalocyathus, also known as the southern red octopus, is a medium-sized octopus, and the type species for the genus Enteroctopus.
Size and description
E. megalocyathus is a relatively large octopus, though not as large as some other giant octopuses, with an average mass of around 4 kg,[1] a mantle length of 22.5 cm,[2] and in excess of 1 m in total length.[3] E. megalocyathus, like other octopuses in the genus Enteroctopus, has longitudinal folds and grooves on the body and large, paddle-like papillae.[4]
Fisheries
E. megalocyathus is one of the two commercially significant octopuses in Chilean waters, along with Octopus mimus. Yearly catch of the two octopuses fluctuates between 2000 and 5000 tons.[1]
Predators
Like most octopuses, E. megalocyathus is a choice meal for many predators larger than it. E. megalocyathus has been shown to be a major dietary component of beaked skates (Dipturus chilensis), spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias),[5] and the South American sea lion (Otaria flavescens).[6]
Range
This octopus is native to the southeastern coast of South America along the coasts of Argentina and Chile up to the Chiloé Archipelago, and the Falkland Islands.[2]
References
- 1 2 Perez, M.C., D.A. Lopez, K. Aguila and M.L. Gonzalez (2006). "Feeding and growth in captivity of the octopus Enteroctopus megalocyathus Gould, 1852". Aquaculture Research 37: 550–555. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2109.2006.01454.x.
- 1 2 CephBase: Enteroctopus megalocyathus
- ↑ Gleadall, I.G. and M.A. Salcedo-Vargas (2004). "Catalogue of the Cephalopoda Specimens in the Zoology Department of Tokyo University Museum" (PDF). Interdisciplinary Information Sciences 10 (2): 113–142. doi:10.4036/iis.2004.113.
- ↑ Hochberg, F.G. (1998). Enteroctopus. In: Taxonomic atlas of the benthic fauna of the Santa Maria Basin and the Western Santa Barbara Channel. Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, Santa Barbara, California. p. 203.
- ↑ Alonso, M.K., E.A. Crespo, N.A. Garcia, S.N. Pedraza, P.A. Mariotti, B.B. Vera and N.J. Mora (2001). "Food habits of Dipturus chilensis (Pisces: Rajidae) off Patagonia, Argentina". ICES Journal of Marine Science 58: 288–297. doi:10.1006/jmsc.2000.1010.
- ↑ Alonso, M.K., E.A. Crespo and S.N. Pedraza (2000). "Food habits of the South American sea lion, Otaria flavescens, off Patagonia, Argentina" (PDF). Fishery Bulletin 98: 250–263.
- Ortiz, N. (2006). "First description of eggs, hatchlings and hatchling behaviour of Enteroctopus megalocyathus (Cephalopoda: Octopodidae)". Journal of Plankton Research 28 (10): 881–890. doi:10.1093/plankt/fbl023.
External links
- "CephBase: Enteroctopus megalocyathus". Archived from the original on 2005.
- Images of E. megalocyathus, many of which show the longitudinal folds of the body and paddle-like papillae that characterize this genus.