Opisthoteuthis philipii explained
Opisthoteuthis philipii is an octopus of the Indian Ocean. It lives off the coast of Kerala, India.[1] Known specimens were found between NaNm (-2,147,483,648feet) deep in the Arabian Sea near Alappuzha.[2]
Description
Oommen described the species based on three animals. Not much is known about the species beyond these specimens. Oommen found that the arms were different lengths, and that his specimens, like many other cirrate ("Dumbo") octopuses, had thick webs connecting their arms. The cirri are retractable. Cirri are the small, thread-like structures that give cirrate octopuses their name. They line the octopuses' arms. Opisthoteuthis philipii is distinguishable from other Opisthoteuthis species by its uniquely shaped beak.[3] The mantle, which contains most of the vital organs, measures up to 140mm. At maximum, the animal is 470mm long.[4]
Further reading
- Oommen . V.P. . A New Species of the Genus Opisthoteuthis Verrill, 1883 (Cephalopoda: Mollusca) from the Southwest Coast of India . Journal of the Marine Biological Association of India . 1976 . 18 . 2 . 368–374.
Notes and References
- Book: M.A. Collins . R. Villanueva . Gordon . J.D.M. . Atkinson . R.J.A. . Gibson . R.N. . Oceanography and Marine Biology: An Annual Review, Volume 44 . June 13, 2006 . 9781420006391 . 297 . Taxonomy, ecology and behaviour of the cirrate octopods.. CRC Press .
- Collins . Martin A. . Sweeney . Michael J. . Vecchione . Michael . Systematics, ecology and biology of cirrate octopods: workshop report . Bulletin of Marine Science . 2002 . 71 . 1 . 88.
- Web site: Young . Richard E. . Vecchione . Michael . Opisthoteuthis philipii . Tree of Life Web Project . May 2003.
- Book: Jereb . P. . Cephalopods of the World: An Annotated and Illustrated Catalogue of Cephalopod Species Known to Date · Volume 3 . 2005 . Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations . 9789251079898 . 256 .
