Enteroctopus megalocyathus

Enteroctopus megalocyathus, also known as the southern red octopus, is a medium-sized octopus, and the type species for the genus Enteroctopus.

Southern red octopus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Cephalopoda
Order: Octopoda
Family: Enteroctopodidae
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

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

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. 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 (6): 550–555. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2109.2006.01454.x.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  2. CephBase: Enteroctopus megalocyathus Archived 2007-12-09 at the Wayback Machine
  3. 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. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-08-14.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  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. doi:10.1006/jmsc.2000.1010.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  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" (PDF). Fishery Bulletin. 98: 250–263.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  • 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.
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