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
Octopus megalocyathus Gould, 1852 Enteroctopus membranaceus Rochebrune & Mabille, 1889 Octopus patagonicus Loennberg, 1898 Polypus brucei Hoyle, 1912 Octopus brucei Odhner, 1923

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

Range map of E. megalocyathus

E. megalocyathus is native to the southeastern coast of South America along the coasts of Argentina and Chile up to Chiloé Archipelago, and the Falkland Islands.^[2]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} 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.
2. ^ ^{a b} CephBase: Enteroctopus megalocyathus
3. ^ Gleadall, I.G. and M.A. Salcedo-Vargas (2004). Catalogue of the Cephalopoda Specimens in the Zoology Department of Tokyo University Museum. Interdisciplinary Information Sciences 10: 113–142.
4. ^ 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.
5. ^ 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.
6. ^ Alonso, M.K., E.A. Crespo and S.N. Pedraza (2000). Food habits of the South American sea lion, Otaria flavescens, off Patagonia, Argentina. Fisheries 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.  edit

External links

• CephBase: Enteroctopus megalocyathus
• Images of E. megalocyathus, many of which show the longitudinal folds of the body and paddle-like papillae that characterize this genus.