Opisthoteuthis massyae

Opisthoteuthis massyae is an octopus living in the eastern Atlantic Ocean.

Opisthoteuthis massyae
Conservation status
Vulnerable  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Mollusca
Class:	Cephalopoda
Order:	Octopoda
Family:	Opisthoteuthidae
Genus:	Opisthoteuthis
Species:	O. massyae
Binomial name
Opisthoteuthis massyae Grimpe, 1920[2]
Synonyms
Cirroteuthis massyae Grimpe, 1920[2] Cirroteuthopsis massyae Grimpe, 1920[2] Opisthoteuthis vossi Sanchez and Guerra, 1989[2] Cirroteuthis massyae Grimpe, 1920[2]

O. massyae occupies the benthic zone (seafloor and water immediately above) of the open ocean.^[2] The octopus lives from 600 m (2,000 ft) to 1,500 m (4,900 ft) deep.^[1] It's found as far north as Ireland, in the Rockall Basin,^[3] and as far south as Namibia.^[4] There are more specimens in the southeast Atlantic than in the northeast Atlantic.^[5]

The two foremost arms of mature males are thicker than their other six arms. This is unusual for Opisthoteuthis species. Mature males also have some enlarged suckers, which is more typical of the genus. Males have more suckers than females.^[5] Specimens with longer arms generally have more suckers.^[6] Males weigh more than females; males can reach a weight of 5,750 g (12.68 lb), and females a weight of 2,959 g (6.523 lb). Females may lay eggs throughout their lifetimes.^[5]

O. massyae has the ability to invert or "balloon" their webs.^[a][5] O. massyae is a carnivore; it probably catches prey by enveloping small animals within its web, similar to some other cirrate octopods.^[7] It eats a variety of small prey: gammarid amphipods, polychaetes, decapods, opossum shrimp, copepods, isopods, tanaids, marine snails, marine slugs, and bivalves.^[8]

Although O. massyae isn't used commercially, it's often taken as bycatch by commercial fishing vessels. This threatens its population.^[1]

References

1. Lyons, G.; Allcock, L. (2014). "Opisthoteuthis massyae". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2014: e.T163141A976478. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-3.RLTS.T163141A976478.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
2. "Opisthoteuthis massyae". World Register of Marine Species. Flanders Marine Institute.
3. M.A. Collins; R. Villanueva (June 13, 2006). "Taxonomy, ecology and behaviour of the cirrate octopods.". In Gordon, J.D.M.; Atkinson, R.J.A.; Gibson, R.N. (eds.). Oceanography and Marine Biology: An Annual Review, Volume 44. CRC Press. p. 297. ISBN 9781420006391.
4. Jereb, P. (2005). Cephalopods of the World: An Annotated and Illustrated Catalogue of Cephalopod Species Known to Date · Volume 3. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. p. 256. ISBN 9789251079898.
5. Young, Richard E.; Vecchione, Michael; Villanueva, Roger (2003). "Opisthoteuthis massyae". Tree of Life Web Project.
6. Sánchez, P.; Villanueva, R.; Voss, N.A. (2002). "Systematics, distribution and biology of the cirrate octopods of the genus Opisthoteuthis (Mollusca, Cephalopoda) in the Atlantic Ocean, with description of two new species". Bulletin of Marine Science. 71 (2): 933-985. ISSN 0007-4977.
7. California Malacozoological Society (1999). "Laboratory Observations of the Feeding Behavior of the Cirrate Octopod, Grimpoteuthis sp.: One Use of Cirri". The Veliger. 42 (2): 156. ISSN 0042-3211.
8. M.A. Collins; R. Villanueva (June 13, 2006). "Taxonomy, ecology and behaviour of the cirrate octopods.". In Gordon, J.D.M.; Atkinson, R.J.A.; Gibson, R.N. (eds.). Oceanography and Marine Biology: An Annual Review, Volume 44. CRC Press. p. 308. ISBN 9781420006391.

Notes

1. See the external links section for photographs of this behavior.

External links

• Web inversion and "balloon" responses