Octopus maya

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Octopus maya
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Cephalopoda
Order: Octopoda
Family: Octopodidae
Genus: Octopus
Species:
O. maya
Binomial name
Octopus maya
Voss & Solís, 1966

Octopus maya, known colloquially as the Mexican four-eyed octopus, is a shallow water octopus that can be found in the tropical Western Atlantic Ocean. It is common to sea grass prairies and coral formations. The species was initially discovered in an octopus fishery in Campeche Mexico, where its close external resemblance to Octopus vulgaris led to its mistaken grouping with the other species. [1] O. maya makes up 80% of octopus catch in the Yucatán Peninsula, while O. vulgaris makes up the remaining 20%.

Contents

Octopus maya can be identified by its large, double-ringed ocellus (a false eye spot) and large egg size (averaging 17 mm or 0.67 in). The mantle is muscular, large, and oval in shape. There is some variation in the definite shape of the posterior end of the mantle, but all are fairly narrow and meet the head at a characteristically narrow neck. Females grow to be larger than males, weighing in at 1,024 g (36 oz) with mantles measuring 124 millimetres (4.9 in). Males grow to be about 484 g (17.1 oz) with mantles 91 g (3.2 oz) long. [2] They are usually dark brown in color but may turn red when agitated. They are also able to mimic the color of the sand on the seafloor. The ocellus is a dark red brown and found directly beneath the eye between the second and third arm. It has been found in depths between 3 and 25 m (10 and 82 ft) along the continental shelf of the Yucatán Peninsula. [3]

Habitat

Campeche Bank is located off of the Yucatán Peninsula in the Gulf of Mexico. It extends about 125 miles (201 km) into the Gulf where it suddenly drops off, ending at the Alacran Reef. There are very low levels of sediments along the Bank between the shore and the reef. The benthic environment in this region can be characterized by fine carbonate sand. The strong currents the flow westward along the bank year round likely contribute to the nature of the benthic sand and lack of sediments. [4]

Diet

Octopus maya is known to feed primarily on benthic prey such as crustaceans, bivalves, fish, gastropods, other octopuses, and even birds. Two specific prey items that O. maya commonly feeds on are blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) and the crown conch snail (Melongena corona bispinosa). Neurotoxins in O. maya’s saliva cause temporary paralysis in its prey, allowing for easier consumption. This paralytic also works on conspecifics, leading researchers to believe that it is used in territorial defense as well as intraspecific competition. [3] Beyond the chemicals found in their saliva, not much is known about hunting techniques specific to O. maya. However, looking at sister taxa, including the closely related Common Octopus (Octopus vulgaris), can shed some light on likely mechanisms used by O. maya. O vulgaris has been observed using its strong suckers to restrain its prey, while carrying the victim toward its mouth. The octopus can then inject the organism with saliva, drilling holes into the bodies of shelled organisms such as crabs and bivalves using its beak as necessary, and consume its prey. [3]

Lifespan and reproduction

Octopus maya is semelparous, meaning that females die following a single round of reproduction. Males are able to reproduce multiple times during their reproductive phase, but only survive for a single spawning season. This period of activity during which males actively search for a mate makes them much more vulnerable to predators. [5] The male will fertilize the female’s eggs internally, then the female will carry them within her body for between 14 and 50 days until spawning. The spawning process lasts approximately 5 days, during which the female will deposit her eggs in a den for incubation. [6] The female blows jets of water over the strands of eggs to keep them clean and ventilated, as well as providing protection to them until hatching. During this period, the female will not leave the eggs to eat, resulting in her death shortly after her offspring hatch. [6] The incubation period for O. maya typically lasts between 30 and 35 days, although there may be individual variation. [5]

Conservation and climate change

Octopus maya is sensitive to temperatures exceeding 27 degrees Celsius (81 °F). As increased temperatures it suffers a decrease in fitness and reproductive capabilities. Thus, rising ocean temperatures pose a serious threat to this species. Continued fishing of this octopus along with dwindling populations could quickly become serious as the processes of climate change causes continued rise in ocean temperatures [7]

Related Research Articles

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Southern blue-ringed octopus Species of mollusc

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Greater blue-ringed octopus Species of venomous cephalopod

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Atlantic pygmy octopus Species of cephalopod

The Atlantic pygmy octopus, also known as the small-egg Caribbean pygmy octopus, is a small octopus species in the order Octopoda. Fully grown, this cephalopod reaches a mantle length of 4.5 centimetres (1.8 in) with arms up to 9 centimetres (3.5 in) long. They are known for being intelligent creatures with keen senses, particularly good sight.

East Pacific red octopus Species of cephalopod known as the East Pacific red octopus or ruby octopus

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<i>Octopus cyanea</i> Species of cephalopod known as the big blue octopus

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Leopard coral grouper Species of fish

The leopard coral grouper, also known as the common coral trout, leopard coral trout, blue-dotted coral grouper or spotted coral grouper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is found in the Western Pacific Ocean.

Caribbean reef octopus Species of cephalopod

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<i>Macroctopus</i> Species of mollusc

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Octopus aquaculture

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Curled octopus Species of cephalopod

The curled octopus, also known as the horned octopus, lesser octopus or northern octopus, is a species of cephalopod found in the northeast Atlantic, ranging from Norway to the Mediterranean, including the British Isles. It is of minor importance to fisheries, being mainly bycatch in the north eastern Atlantic and in the Mediterranean where the common octopus is the preferred catch.

<i>Abdopus aculeatus</i> Species of cephalopod

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<i>Octopus tetricus</i> Species of mollusc

Octopus tetricus, the gloomy octopus or the common Sydney octopus, is a species of octopus from the subtropical waters of eastern Australia and New Zealand. O.tetricus belongs to the Octopus vulgaris species group and is a commercially prized species. All species within the O. vulgaris group are similar in morphology. The english translation of O. tetricus (Latin) is 'the gloomy octopus'.

<i>Pinnoctopus cordiformis</i> Species of mollusc

Pinnoctopus cordiformis is a species of octopus found around the coasts of New Zealand.

Larger Pacific striped octopus Species of octopus

The larger Pacific striped octopus (LPSO), or Harlequin octopus, is a species of octopus known for its intelligence and gregarious nature. The species was first documented in the 1970s and, being fairly new to scientific observation, has yet to be scientifically described. Because of this, LPSO has no official scientific name. Unlike other octopus species which are normally solitary, the LPSO has been reported as forming groups of up to 40 individuals. While most octopuses are cannibalistic and have to exercise extreme caution while mating, these octopuses mate with their ventral sides touching, pressing their beaks and suckers together in an intimate embrace. The LPSO has presented many behaviors that differ from most species of octopus, including intimate mating behaviors, formation of social communities, unusual hunting behavior, and the ability to reproduce multiple times throughout their life. The LPSO has been found to favor the tropical waters of the Eastern Pacific.

<i>Octopus bimaculatus</i> Species of octopus

Octopus bimaculatus, commonly referred to as Verill's two-spot octopus, is a similar species to the Octopus bimaculoides, a species it is often mistaken for. The two can be distinguished by the difference in the blue and black chain-like pattern of the ocelli. O. bimaculatus hunt and feed on a diverse number of benthic organisms that also reside off the coast of Southern California. Once the octopus reaches sexual maturity, it shortly dies after mating, which is approximately 12–18 months after hatching. Embryonic development tends to be rapid due to this short lifespan of these organisms.

Octopus insularis is a species of octopus described in 2008 from individuals found off the coast of Brazil, with a potentially much larger range.

<i>Opisthoteuthis agassizii</i> Species of octopus

Opisthoteuthis agassizii is a lesser-known, deep-sea octopus first described in 1883 by Addison E. Verrill.

<i>Bathypolypus sponsalis</i> Species of mollusc

Bathypolypus sponsalis, commonly called the globose octopus, is a deep sea cephalopod that can be found in both the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. It possesses many morphological traits adapted to a deep sea environment, including large eggs, reduced gills, no ink sac, and subgelatinous tissues. A distinguishing factor are the relatively large reproductive organs. Their diet consists of predominantly crustaceans and molluscs, but they sometimes consume fish as well. Bathypolypus sponsalis usually dies quickly after reproduction and only spawns once in their lifetime. Sexually mature females have a mantle length of at least 34 mm and sexually mature males have a mantle length of about 24 mm. Juveniles are white and transition to dark brown then to dark purple once maturity is reached.

References

  1. ↑ Voss, Gilbert L., and Manuel Solís Ramírez. "Octopus maya, a new species from the Bay of Campeche, Mexico." Bulletin of Marine Science 16.3 (1966): 615-625.
  2. ↑ Markaida, Unai, et al. “Seasonal and Spatial Trends of Mayan Octopus, Octopus Maya, Population Dynamics from Campeche, Mexico.” Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, vol. 97, no. 8, 2017, pp. 1663–1673., doi:10.1017/S0025315416001132.
  3. 1 2 3 Pech-Puch, Dawrin, et al. "Chemical tools of Octopus maya during crab predation are also active on conspecifics." PLOS One 11.2 (2016): e0148922.
  4. ↑ Folk, Robert L, and Rogelio Robles. “Carbonate Sands of Isla Perez, Alacran Reef Complex, Yucatán.” The Journal of Geology, vol. 72, no. 3, 1964, pp. 255–292.
  5. 1 2 Hernández-Garcıa, V., J. L. Hernández-López, and J. J. Castro-Hdez. "On the reproduction of Octopus vulgaris off the coast of the Canary Islands." Fisheries Research 57.2 (2002): 197-203.
  6. 1 2 Rosas C., Gallardo P., Mascaró M., Caamal-Monsreal C., Pascual C. (2014) Octopus maya. In: Iglesias J., Fuentes L., Villanueva R. (eds) Cephalopod Culture. Springer, Dordrecht
  7. ↑ Juárez, Oscar E., et al. "Is temperature conditioning Octopus maya fitness?." Journal of experimental marine biology and ecology 467 (2015): 71-76.\
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