Veined Octopus - Amphioctopus Marginatus

''Amphioctopus'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

octopus An octopus ( : octopuses or octopodes, see below for variants) is a soft-bodied, eight- limbed mollusc of the order Octopoda (, ). The order consists of some 300 species and is grouped within the class Cephalopoda with squids, cuttle ...

es comprising around 16 species.

Description

Members of the genus ''Amphioctopus'' reside in tropical and subtropical waters. These octopuses are found primarily in the Pacific and

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by th ...

s but representatives can also be found in the

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

. They are characterized by arms that are about two or three times their

mantle A mantle is a piece of clothing, a type of cloak. Several other meanings are derived from that. Mantle may refer to: *Mantle (clothing), a cloak-like garment worn mainly by women as fashionable outerwear **Mantle (vesture), an Eastern Orthodox ve ...

length with deep lateral webs and very shallow dorsal webs.Norman, M.D. & F.G. Hochberg (2005). The current state of octopus taxonomy. ''Phuket Marine Biological Center Research Bulletin'' 66: 127–154. This genus can be further divided into two subgroups, one group with ocellate octopuses, the other with non-ocellate octopuses.Norman, M. (2003). ''Cephalopods: A World Guide''. Hackenheim, ConchBooks, p. 214.

Taxonomic status

Historically, members of this genus were placed within the genus ''

Octopus An octopus ( : octopuses or octopodes, see below for variants) is a soft-bodied, eight- limbed mollusc of the order Octopoda (, ). The order consists of some 300 species and is grouped within the class Cephalopoda with squids, cuttle ...

'', but recognized as forming a distinct group and referred to as the ''Octopus aegina'' species complex.Huffard, C.L. & F.G. Hochberg (2005). ''Molluscan Research'' 25(3): 113–128. The genus was originally described by Fischer in 1882. He assigned to it the already described species, ''Octopus membranaceus'' (Quoy and Gaimard, 1832), as the

type species In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specimen ...

(not to be confused with '' Enteroctopus membranaceus'' (Rochebrune and Mabille, 1889), the original types species of the genus ''

Enteroctopus ''Enteroctopus'' is an octopus genus whose members are sometimes known as giant octopus. Etymology The generic name ''Enteroctopus'' was created by Alphonse Tremeau de Rochebrune and Jules François Mabille in 1887 and published in 1889, j ...

''). Robson in his review of octopus taxonomy in 1929 regarded ''

Amphioctopus membranaceus ''Amphioctopus'' is a genus of octopuses comprising around 16 species. Description Members of the genus ''Amphioctopus'' reside in tropical and subtropical waters. These octopuses are found primarily in the Pacific and Indian Oceans but repre ...

'' as a ''

nomen dubium In binomial nomenclature, a ''nomen dubium'' (Latin for "doubtful name", plural ''nomina dubia'') is a scientific name that is of unknown or doubtful application. Zoology In case of a ''nomen dubium'' it may be impossible to determine whether a s ...

'', referring it to his newly named "''aegina'' species complex", a group of octopuses forming a distinct constellation characterized by ''Octopus aegina''. The genus ''Amphioctopus'' was subsequently considered invalid. In 2002, Gleadall suggested that the ''aegina'' species group represents a distinct genus with ''Amphioctopus'' being the senior name. In 2004, Gleadall resurrected the genus ''Schizoctopus'' and assigned ''Octopus fangsiao'' as the type species.Gleadall, I.G. (2004). Some Old and New Genera of Octopus. ''Interdisciplinary Information Sciences''. 10(2): 99–112. In 2005, Huffard and Hochberg, arguing that Robson's designation of ''Octopus membranaceus'' as a ''nomen dubium'' was premature and considering it a valid name, resurrected the genus name ''Amphioctopus'' for the ''Octopus aegina'' species complex. Huffard and Hochberg also found ''Schizoctopus'' to be a junior synonym for ''Amphioctopus''.

Species

*''

Amphioctopus aegina ''Amphioctopus'' is a genus of octopuses comprising around 16 species. Description Members of the genus ''Amphioctopus'' reside in tropical and subtropical waters. These octopuses are found primarily in the Pacific and Indian Oceans but repre ...

'' *''

Amphioctopus arenicola ''Amphioctopus'' is a genus of octopuses comprising around 16 species. Description Members of the genus ''Amphioctopus'' reside in tropical and subtropical waters. These octopuses are found primarily in the Pacific and Indian Oceans but repre ...

'' *''

Amphioctopus burryi ''Amphioctopus'' is a genus of octopuses comprising around 16 species. Description Members of the genus ''Amphioctopus'' reside in tropical and subtropical waters. These octopuses are found primarily in the Pacific and Indian Oceans but repre ...

'' *''

Amphioctopus exannulatus ''Amphioctopus'' is a genus of octopuses comprising around 16 species. Description Members of the genus ''Amphioctopus'' reside in tropical and subtropical waters. These octopuses are found primarily in the Pacific and Indian Oceans but repre ...

'' *''

Amphioctopus fangsiao ''Amphioctopus fangsiao'', called webfoot octopus, is a species of octopus, a cephalopod belonging to the genus ''Amphioctopus''. It is found in the Pacific Ocean, including off the coasts of New Zealand as well as in the Yellow Sea and surround ...

'' *''

Amphioctopus granulatus ''Amphioctopus'' is a genus of octopuses comprising around 16 species. Description Members of the genus ''Amphioctopus'' reside in tropical and subtropical waters. These octopuses are found primarily in the Pacific and Indian Oceans but repre ...

'' * *''

Amphioctopus kagoshimensis ''Amphioctopus'' is a genus of octopuses comprising around 16 species. Description Members of the genus ''Amphioctopus'' reside in tropical and subtropical waters. These octopuses are found primarily in the Pacific and Indian Oceans but repre ...

'' *''

Amphioctopus marginatus ''Amphioctopus marginatus'', also known as the coconut octopus and veined octopus, is a medium-sized cephalopod belonging to the genus ''Amphioctopus''. It is found in tropical waters of the western Pacific Ocean. It commonly preys upon shrimp, cr ...

'', veined octopus *''

'' * *''

Amphioctopus mototi ''Amphioctopus'' is a genus of octopuses comprising around 16 species. Description Members of the genus ''Amphioctopus'' reside in tropical and subtropical waters. These octopuses are found primarily in the Pacific and Indian Oceans but repre ...

'' *''

Amphioctopus neglectus ''Amphioctopus'' is a genus of octopuses comprising around 16 species. Description Members of the genus ''Amphioctopus'' reside in tropical and subtropical waters. These octopuses are found primarily in the Pacific and Indian Oceans but repre ...

'' *''

Amphioctopus polyzenia ''Amphioctopus'' is a genus of octopuses comprising around 16 species. Description Members of the genus ''Amphioctopus'' reside in tropical and subtropical waters. These octopuses are found primarily in the Pacific and Indian Oceans but repre ...

'' *''

Amphioctopus rex ''Amphioctopus'' is a genus of octopuses comprising around 16 species. Description Members of the genus ''Amphioctopus'' reside in tropical and subtropical waters. These octopuses are found primarily in the Pacific and Indian Oceans but repre ...

'' *''

Amphioctopus robsoni ''Amphioctopus'' is a genus of octopuses comprising around 16 species. Description Members of the genus ''Amphioctopus'' reside in tropical and subtropical waters. These octopuses are found primarily in the Pacific and Indian Oceans but repr ...

'' *''

Amphioctopus siamensis ''Amphioctopus'' is a genus of octopuses comprising around 16 species. Description Members of the genus ''Amphioctopus'' reside in tropical and subtropical waters. These octopuses are found primarily in the Pacific and Indian Oceans but repre ...

'' *''

Amphioctopus varunae ''Amphioctopus'' is a genus of octopuses comprising around 16 species. Description Members of the genus ''Amphioctopus'' reside in tropical and subtropical waters. These octopuses are found primarily in the Pacific and Indian Oceans but repre ...

'' Species marked with an asterisk (*) remain unresolved.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q4748307 Octopodidae