| Bolitaenidae (pelagic octopods) |
| 11.5 cm ML (male/unsexed) |
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pelagic; marine; depth range 100 - 1400 m |
| Indo-Pacific, Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean. Subtropical to subtropical. |
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| Depth range from 100 to 1,400 m. These small pelagic octopuses typically live over deeper water. Young animals tend to occur in the shallower end of the range. As members of this species reach sexual maturity the iridescence of the digestive gland and eyes is lost and animals migrate to deeper darker waters. Pigmentation greatly increases in females as they mature and the arms become relatively longer. Increased pigmentation may be associated with the need to mask output from the female's circumoral light organ. This light organ may be used for reproductive signalling to males. The posterior salivary glands of mature males are greatly enlarged and have been suggested to produce a chemical attractant for females (Ref. 96968). |
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(LC); Date assessed: 20 August 2014 Ref. 123251)
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