''Euaxoctopus panamensis'', commonly known as the crescent octopus, is the best described species of ''

Euaxoctopus ''Euaxoctopus'' is a genus of 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 th ...

''.

Description

Little is known regarding the coloration of ''Euaxoctopus panamensis'' in life, although preserved specimens are gray in color and characterized by dark, crescent-shaped markings on the octopus' mantle, bordered by lightly colored streaks which are believed to be iridescent in life. Their mantles grow to 3.2 cm (1.3 in), and their bodies grow to a total length of 20 cm (7.9 in). Males are characterized by a hectocotylus as their third left arm which is approximately 1/3 the size of the corresponding right arm. ''E. panamensis'' is also characterized by an unusual digestive tract, featuring a left salivary gland twice the size of the right gland, and both glands fused together around the crop.

Distribution

''E. panamensis'' is found offshore in the Gulf of Panama and

Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...

, as far south as Ecuador. The species has been collected from 30 to 40m deep, though its true depth range is unknown. It is usually found in soft mud substrates.

Reproduction

Females produce small eggs, approximately 1.4x0.5mm. These eggs hatch into planktonic paralarvae, identifiable due to their long second arms.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2134386 Octopuses Molluscs of the Pacific Ocean