Ocythoe tuberculata

For the harpy of Greek mythology, see Ocypete.

For the oracular animal, see Paul the Octopus.

Tuberculate pelagic octopus
Specimen preserved in formaldehyde
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Cephalopoda
Order:	Octopoda
Superfamily:	Argonautoida
Family:	Ocythoidae Gray, 1849
Genus:	Ocythoe Rafinesque, 1814
Species:	O. tuberculata
Binomial name
Ocythoe tuberculata Rafinesque, 1814

Ocythoe tuberculata, also known as the tuberculate pelagic octopus or football octopus, is a pelagic species. It is the only known species in the family Ocythoidae.

Ocythoe tuberculata is found in warm and temperate seas, especially in the Northern Hemisphere, such as the North Pacific Ocean off California.

Description

The females are around 1 metre (3.3 ft) long when full-grown. The males are considerably smaller at around 10 centimetres (3.9 in).

As a species, the Ocythoe tuberculata are unique among cephalopods in possessing a true gas bladder. They are also one of the only known ovoviviparous cephalopod species. It is relatively unresearched in terms of behaviour and life cycle.

Young females and mature males have been observed residing inside salps, although little is known about this relationship.

Gallery

• Male with attached hectocotylus that has broken free from its sac.
  Male with attached hectocotylus that has broken free from its sac.
• Cut-away drawing of the viscera.
  Cut-away drawing of the viscera.
• Details of the hectocotylus.
  Details of the hectocotylus.
• O. tuberculata paralarva.
  O. tuberculata paralarva.

External links

• "CephBase: Ocythoe tuberculata". Archived from the original on 17 August 2005.
• Tree of Life web project: Ocythoe tuberculata