Enteroctopus magnificus

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South African giant octopus
Systematics
Subclass : Octopus (coleoidea)
Superordinate : Eight-armed squid (Vampyropoda)
Order : Octopus (octopoda)
Family : Real octopus (Octopodidae)
Genre : Giant octopus ( enteroctopus )
Type : South African giant octopus
Scientific name
Enteroctopus magnificus
( Villanueva , Sánchez & Compagno Roeleveld , 1992)

The South African giant octopus ( Enteroctopus magnificus ) is a large cephalopod belonging to the giant octopus genus . He lives in the Atlantic and Indian oceans . The species was first described in 1992.

features

anatomy

Enteroctopus magnificus is a large muscular species with a total length of 1.60 meters. The coat reaches a length of 36 centimeters. It can weigh up to 11 kilograms. The tentacles reach 3.5-5 times the length of the mantle, with the arms of this species being approximately the same length. The ability to throw off individual arms at a predetermined breaking point if there is a risk (arm autotomy ) does not exist with this type. The velar skin between the tentacles reaches about 20% of the tentacle length at its most extensive points. It extends farthest between the side arms and is least developed between the dorsal and ventral arms. Enteroctopus magnificus has up to 300 suction cups on each arm, each of which is arranged in two rows. The cups are large, but noticeably enlarged suction cups are missing here. In male specimens, the third right arm forms the hectocotylus . It has approximately 80-95% the length of the opposite arm and 92 to 126 suction cups. The lateral limbs are noticeably shorter than the medial limbs. The only thing you notice about the esophagus is a swelling. There is no developed goiter. Enteroctopus magnificus has an ink bag. Anal valves are present but relatively tiny. The gills have 12 to 15 lamellae per demibranch . The funnel organ has a W-shaped appearance. The radula consists of nine elements, seven rows of teeth and edge plates.

The ligula is very long and pointed in this species and has about 14 to 22% of the hectocotylated arm length. The calamus is relatively small with 5 to 19% of the length of the ligula. Hectocotylated arm with 92 to 126 suction cups.

Appearance

The back surface of the South African giant octopus varies from a yellowish ocher to a mottled cream color and shades of brown. Some specimens also have an even, chocolate-brown hue that becomes paler ventrally . In contrast to the other skin folds, the longitudinal folds are often white in color.

Enteroctopus magnificus does not have ocelli , also known as false eye spots.

The skin has a soft, loose structure through which large longitudinal folds and smaller warts, so-called papillae , run. There is no lateral skin ridge.

Like all real octopuses, Enteroctopus magnificus can adapt its appearance to its surroundings. This camouflage is based on a combination of different chromatophores and a change in the texture of the skin

Habitat, way of life

Enteroctopus magnificus lives in the South Atlantic and the Indian Ocean. It occurs off the coast of Africa from Lüderitz , Namibia to Port Elizabeth in South Africa and has been found at depths between 2 and 560 meters below sea level.

Limited biological information is available for this species.

So far, the South African giant octopus has been sighted in soft sedimentary habitats. He appears to be a generalist who eats crabs (including hermit crabs), lobsters, amphipods , various species of shrimp, snails, polychaetes , fish (including hagfish ), and other squids.

Reproduction

The spermatophores are 870 millimeters long and 1.6-2.8 times the length of the mantle. In a mating process, however, only 8 spermatophores are released to the female. The eggs, on the other hand, are relatively small at up to 8 millimeters.

The females lay up to 20,000 eggs. It is believed that the young animals grow up planktonically.

Individual evidence

  1. a b c d e f g h Cephalods of The World: An annotated and illustrated catalog of cephalopod species known to date (pp. 124–125)
  2. Skin as superreflectors
  3. Octopodidae - Article at Tree of Life