Star sucker dwarf octopus
| Star sucker dwarf octopus | ||||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Octopus wolfi | ||||||||||||
| ( Wülker , 1913) |
The star suction cup dwarf octopus ( Octopus wolfi ), also known as "Sternsauger", "Pygmäenkrake" or "Pygmäentintenfisch" is a cephalopod from the genus of octopus . It is the smallest octopus discovered so far. The species was first described in 1913 by the German zoologist Gerhard Wülker .
features
anatomy
Octopus wolfi reaches a total length of around 30 millimeters. The jacket length is 16 millimeters. He has a broad head and a plump looking trunk. The body is broad and stocky. It ends in an angular wide shape and is only moderately tapered towards the rear.
The tentacles are very short and of different lengths. Measured from the mouth to the tip of the arm, the third and fourth pairs of arms are the longest at 19 millimeters and the first pair of arms are the shortest at 17 millimeters. There are 25 suction cups on each arm, arranged in two rows. At their base, however, they are only in a row and form a wreath of eight suction cups around the mouth opening. Above these basic bowls there are two unpaired bowls that merge into very even rows of two. The males have star-shaped suction cups with fringed edges. This trait is unique to the octopus family. The right third arm of the male forms the hectocotylus, which is well developed. The surface supporting the suction cup is about 3.5 millimeters wide. The spermatophore groove is about 2 millimeters wide and clearly visible. At the top there is an equally well-developed ligula . It is spoon-shaped and tapers at the end. The ligula is 2 millimeters long and has about 10 transverse folds.
The funnel organ is wide and conical. It extends into the space between the ventral arms. Anal valves and an ink pouch are provided.
Appearance
Octopus wolfi has an almost square body shape and short arms. It has a dark wine-red color that fades into violet. Like all real octopuses, Octopus maya can adapt its appearance to its surroundings. This camouflage is a combination of different chromatophores and a change in skin texture. The species has brown and red chromatophores , but can also produce white patterns.
The skin is covered with numerous reddish, wart-like papillae of various sizes. There are some transverse folds on the back. There are also wrinkles around the eyes that converge after opening.
Unique to the real octopus are the star-shaped suction cups on the tentacle ends of the sexually mature males. Nothing is known about this eponymous feature. It is believed, however, that they play a role in reproduction.
habitat
The star-sucker dwarf octopus lives in the Indo-Pacific , except around the Hawaiian Islands . The species has been detected from the Red Sea eastward to Tahiti , the Philippines southward to the Great Barrier Reef and New Caledonia , at depths between 0 and 30 meters. The species lives exclusively in salt water . Coral reefs are the most common habitat . The species can also be found in crevices on the sea floor, in caves or under stones.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b World's Smallest Octopus
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i First description - Treatises of the Senckenberg Natural Research Society (p. 458)
- ↑ a b Octopodidae - Article at Tree of Life
- ↑ a b c d CEPHALOPODS OF THE WORLD AN ANNOTATED AND ILLUSTRATED CATALOG OF CEPHALOPOD SPECIES KNOWN TO DATE (pp. 187, 215)
- ↑ Skin as superreflectors
- ↑ Animal Photo Album - Octopus Wolfi