Opisthoteuthis pluto
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| Opisthoteuthis pluto | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Cephalopoda |
| Order: | Octopoda |
| Family: | Opisthoteuthidae |
| Genus: | Opisthoteuthis |
| Species: | O. pluto |
| Binomial name | |
| Opisthoteuthis pluto | |
Opisthoteuthis pluto is a deep-sea cirrate octopus found off southern Australia in the bathyal zone.[3] The species was described by S. Stillman Berry in 1918,[4] and has recently been re-described.[5] The species is named for the Greek and Roman god of the Underworld.[6]
The octopus is known from multiple specimens. The largest specimen, a male, spanned 540 mm (21 in) from arm tip to arm tip.[4] Like other members of the genus Opisthoteuthis, this octopus is sexually dimorphic, the males having enlarged suckers on distinct regions of the arms.[3] The species has 80–85 suckers per arm, with males having a region of proximal suckers enlarged (from the 4th to 9th or 10th sucker, near the mouth). The species is distinct in lacking any distally enlarged suckers on the male.[5] Some sources note the species as having enlarged suckers on distal arm regions,[4] but this was not noted in Berry's original description and seems to stem from confusion with the recently described Insigniteuthis obscura.[5] The species has 8 lamellae on each gill, and unlike other southern Australian Opisthoteuthis has a unilobed digestive gland (liver), it has some unique modifications to its reproductive system that distinguishes it from other species.[5] According to S. Stillman Berry, who described O. pluto, the octopus was capable of partially retracting its suckers and cirri (the small tendrils lining the arms).[4] The octopus has a dark color, which helps it camouflage with the ocean floor.[6]