''Callistoctopus'' is a
genus
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...
of
nocturnal
Nocturnality is a ethology, behavior in some non-human animals characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnality, diurnal meaning the opposite.
Nocturnal creatur ...
, orange
octopus
An octopus (: octopuses or octopodes) 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, cuttlefish, and nautiloids. Like oth ...
es in the
family
Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
Octopodidae
The Octopodidae comprise the family containing the majority of known octopus species (about 175 species).
Genera
The World Register of Marine Species lists these 23 genera:
*'' Abdopus'' Norman & Finn, 2001 (7 species)
*'' Ameloctopus'' Norman, ...
.
[Marshall, B.; Bouchet, P. (2014). Callistoctopus Iw. Taki, 1964. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=534103 on 2015-02-02] They are readily identifiable by their reddish coloring, the white papillae that line their bodies, and their long arms. Though
sympatric
In biology, two closely related species or populations are considered sympatric when they exist in the same geographic area and thus frequently encounter each other. An initially interbreeding population that splits into two or more distinct spe ...
with
diurnal ''
Octopus
An octopus (: octopuses or octopodes) 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, cuttlefish, and nautiloids. Like oth ...
'' species, they avoid competition by hunting at night. In acknowledgement of this preference, many species of ''Callistoctopus'' are referred to as night octopuses. Well-known species include ''
C. macropus'' (Atlantic white-spotted octopus) and the
type species
In International_Code_of_Zoological_Nomenclature, 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 spe ...
''
C. ornatus'' (ornate octopus), both of which are harvested for human consumption as
seafood
Seafood is any form of Marine life, sea life regarded as food by humans, prominently including Fish as food, fish and shellfish. Shellfish include various species of Mollusca, molluscs (e.g., bivalve molluscs such as clams, oysters, and mussel ...
.
Species
* ''
Callistoctopus alpheus''
(Norman, 1993) – Capricorn night octopus
[Atlas of Living Australia website at http://www.ala.org.au. Accessed 13 January 2019.]
* ''
Callistoctopus aspilosomatis''
(Norman, 1993) – plainbody night octopus
* ''
Callistoctopus bunurong''
(Stranks, 1990) – southern white-spot octopus
* ''
Callistoctopus dierythraeus''
(Norman, 1992) – red-spot night octopus
* ''
Callistoctopus graptus''
(Norman, 1992) – scribbled night octopus
* ''
Callistoctopus lechenaultii''
(d'Orbigny, 1826)
* ''
Callistoctopus luteus''
(Sasaki, 1929) – starry night octopus
[MarineBio Conservation Society. Web. Accessed 1/13/2019. .]
* ''
Callistoctopus macropus
''Callistoctopus macropus'', also known as the Atlantic white-spotted octopus, white-spotted octopus,Norman, M.D. 2000. ''Cephalopods: A World Guide''. ConchBooks.Bouchet, P. (2014). Callistoctopus macropus (Risso, 1826). Accessed through: World ...
''
(Risso, 1826) – Atlantic white-spotted octopus
[Bouchet, P. (2014). Callistoctopus macropus (Risso, 1826). Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=534558 on 2015-02-01]
* ''
Callistoctopus nocturnus''
(Norman & Sweeney, 1997)
* ''
Callistoctopus ornatus''
(Gould, 1852) – ornate octopus
["ORNATE OCTOPUS (''Octopus ornatus'')". Lord Howe Island Museum. https://www.lhimuseum.com/species/view/164 Accessed on 13 January, 2019.]
* ''
Callistoctopus rapanui''
(Voss, 1979)
;Species brought into synonymy:
* ''Callistoctopus arakawai''
(Taki, 1964): synonym of ''Callistoctopus ornatus''
(Gould, 1852)
* ''Callistoctopus magnocellatus''
(Taki, 1964): synonym of ''
Octopus cyanea
''Octopus cyanea'', also known as the big blue octopus or day octopus, is an octopus in the family Octopodidae. It occurs in both the Pacific and Indian Oceans, from Hawaii to the eastern coast of Africa.Norman, M.D. 2000. ''Cephalopods: A Worl ...
''
Gray, 1849
;
Taxa inquirenda:
* ''Callistoctopus furvus''
(Gould, 1852): potential name for West Atlantic octopuses currently under ''C. macropus''
* ''Callistoctopus taprobanensis''
(Robson, 1926)
External links
References
* Taki, I. (1964), ''On eleven new species of the Cephalopoda from Japan, including two new genera of the Octopodinae''; Journal of the Faculty of Fisheries and Animal Husbandry, Hiroshima University, 5 (2) 297-343
Cephalopod genera
Octopodidae
{{octopus-stub