Octopus rubescens (commonly the East Pacific red octopus, also known as the ruby octopus, a preferred common name due to the abundance of octopus species colloquially known as red octopus[1]) is the most commonly occurring shallow-water octopus on much of the North American West Coast and a ubiquitous benthicpredator in these habitats.[2] Its range extends from the southern Gulf of California to at least the Gulf of Alaska, but may also occur in the western Pacific Ocean. O. rubescens occurs intertidally to a depth of 300 m (980 ft).[3]
In the years prior to the description of this species in 1953, O. rubescens was widely considered to be a young Enteroctopus dofleini. Many early descriptions were based on a combination of O. rubescens and E. dofleini.[3][4] To date, the taxonomy of this species remains somewhat unresolved. S.S. Berry’s 1953 description is in truth a brief diagnosis,[5] and considering the exceptionally wide range of the species, the animals currently covered under O. rubescens may prove to represent several subspecies or a species complex.
Size and descriptionedit
O. rubescens in captivity
O. rubescens generally grows to a mantle length of 8–10 cm (3.1–3.9 in), and arm length of 30–40 cm (12–16 in). Adult weight is generally 100–150 grams (3.5–5.3 oz), but animals up to 400 grams (14 oz) in weight have occasionally been observed.[6][3]
Like all octopuses, O. rubescens can change its color and texture, making its appearance highly variable. Color can vary from a deep brick red, to brown, to white, or mottled mixtures of the three. It can be easily confused with small individuals of Enteroctopus dofleini in the northern end of this species' range. The two can be differentiated by the presence of three eyelash-like papillae below the eyes of O. rubescens that are absent in E. dofleini.[7]
As part of its feeding behavior, O. rubescens will pounce on prey and display a stereotypical sequence of color changes at the moment of capture.[10] Following the capture of bivalve prey, it will often drill a hole through the shell to deliver venom and more easily open the shell. The octopuses will often concentrate their drill holes near the adductor muscles of the bivalve prey.[11]
A recent study[when?] has suggested O. rubescens may choose prey based on fat digestibility rather than on the amount of calories the octopuses are able to obtain from the food items.[12] If this is true, the authors further argue, this would make O. rubescens a specialist predator by some measures rather than a generalist due to its specific nutrient requirements.
O. rubescens was the first invertebrate in which individual personalities were demonstrated.[13]
In Popular Cultureedit
Disney and Pixar's 2016 animated film, Finding Dory, a sequel to their 2003 film Finding Nemo, features an East Pacific red octopus named Hank, voiced by Ed O'Neil, as a prominent main character. In the film, Hank acts as a reluctant but persistent accomplice in assisting dory in reuniting with her family, desiring her quarantine tag so he go to an aquarium in Cleveland to live in solitude. He also suffers trauma from having lost a tentacle, to which Dory refers to him as a "septopus". The true reason why Hank only has seven tentacles is because the animators were unable to fit eight on his model.
Referencesedit
^Cosgrove, James; McDaniel, Neil (2009). Super Suckers: The giant Pacific octopus and other cephalopods of the Pacific coast. Harbour Publishing. ISBN9781550174663.
^ abOnthank, K.L. (2008). "Aerobic metabolism and dietary ecology of Octopus rubescens" (PDF). (2.4 MB) . M. Sc. Walla Walla University, College Place, WA: 91
^ abcHochberg, F.G. (1997). Octopus rubescens. Proceedings of the workshop on the fishery and market potential of octopus in California. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution.
^Hochberg, F.G. (1998). Octopus rubescens. In: P.V. Scott & J.A. Blake (Eds.) Taxonomic Atlas of the Benthic Fauna of the Santa Maria Basin and the Western Santa Barbara Channel: Vol. 8. (pp. 213–218). Santa Barbara, California, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History.
^Berry, S.S. (1953). "Preliminary diagnoses of six west American species of Octopus". Leaflets in Malacology. 1: 51–58.
^ abDorsey, E.M. (1976). Natural history and social behavior of Octopus rubescens (Berry). Seattle, WA: University of Washington. p. 44.
^Anderson, R.C. (2006). "On West Coast Octopuses including a field key to west coast species." The Festivus38(1): 5–6.
^Anderson, R.C., P.D. Hughes, J.A. Mather & C.W. Steele (1999). "Determination of the diet of Octopus rubescens though examination of its beer bottle dens in Puget Sound." Malacologia41(2): 455–460.
^Laidig, T.E., Adams, P.B., Baxter, C.H. & Butler, J.L. (1995). Feeding on euphausiids by Octopus rubescens. California Fish and Game Technical Report81(2): 77–79.
^Warren, L. R., Scheier, M. F. & Riley, D.A. (1974). Colour changes of Octopus rubescens during attacks on unconditioned and conditioned stimuli. Animal Behaviour22(1): 211–219. doi:10.1016/S0003-3472(74)80071-0
^Anderson, R. C., Sinn, D. L. & Mather, J.A. (2008). "Drilling localization on bivalve prey by Octopus rubescens Berry, 1953 (Cephalopoda: Octopodidae)" (PDF). The Veliger50(4): 326–328.
^Onthank, K.L. and Cowles, D.L. (2011). Prey selection in Octopus rubescens: Possible roles of energy budgeting and prey nutritional composition. Marine Biology158(12): 2795–2804. doi:10.1007/s00227-011-1778-4
^Mather, J.A. & R.C. Anderson (1993). "Personalities of Octopuses (Octopus rubescens)." Journal of Comparative Psychology107(3): 336–340.
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Octopus rubescens.
east, pacific, octopus, octopus, rubescens, commonly, also, known, ruby, octopus, preferred, common, name, abundance, octopus, species, colloquially, known, octopus, most, commonly, occurring, shallow, water, octopus, much, north, american, west, coast, ubiqui. Octopus rubescens commonly the East Pacific red octopus also known as the ruby octopus a preferred common name due to the abundance of octopus species colloquially known as red octopus 1 is the most commonly occurring shallow water octopus on much of the North American West Coast and a ubiquitous benthic predator in these habitats 2 Its range extends from the southern Gulf of California to at least the Gulf of Alaska but may also occur in the western Pacific Ocean O rubescens occurs intertidally to a depth of 300 m 980 ft 3 East Pacific red octopusScientific classificationDomain EukaryotaKingdom AnimaliaPhylum MolluscaClass CephalopodaOrder OctopodaFamily OctopodidaeGenus OctopusSpecies O rubescensBinomial nameOctopus rubescensBerry 1953SynonymsOctopus punctatusGabb 1862 Polypus hongkongensisHoyle 1885 Octopus dofleiniWulker 1910 Polypus dofleiniWulker 1910 Polypus apollyonBerry 1912 Paroctopus apollyonBerry 1912 Polypus gilbertianusBerry 1912 Octopus gilbertianusBerry 1912 Octopus priceiBerry 1912 Octopus apollyonBerry 1913East Pacific red octopus rescued from a gull near Los Osos California Contents 1 Taxonomy 2 Size and description 3 Diet and foraging behavior 4 Other behavior 5 In Popular Culture 6 References 7 External linksTaxonomy editIn the years prior to the description of this species in 1953 O rubescens was widely considered to be a young Enteroctopus dofleini Many early descriptions were based on a combination of O rubescens and E dofleini 3 4 To date the taxonomy of this species remains somewhat unresolved S S Berry s 1953 description is in truth a brief diagnosis 5 and considering the exceptionally wide range of the species the animals currently covered under O rubescens may prove to represent several subspecies or a species complex Size and description edit nbsp O rubescens in captivityO rubescens generally grows to a mantle length of 8 10 cm 3 1 3 9 in and arm length of 30 40 cm 12 16 in Adult weight is generally 100 150 grams 3 5 5 3 oz but animals up to 400 grams 14 oz in weight have occasionally been observed 6 3 Like all octopuses O rubescens can change its color and texture making its appearance highly variable Color can vary from a deep brick red to brown to white or mottled mixtures of the three It can be easily confused with small individuals of Enteroctopus dofleini in the northern end of this species range The two can be differentiated by the presence of three eyelash like papillae below the eyes of O rubescens that are absent in E dofleini 7 Diet and foraging behavior editO rubescens is a generalist predator and has been maintained on a wide variety of gastropods bivalves crabs and barnacles in the lab 6 So far very little quantification of its diet in the wild has been made The two studies on the subject determined diets in Puget Sound Washington to be dominated by gastropods particularly Nucella lamellosa 2 and Callianax alectona but also composed of clams scallops and crabs 8 The planktonic larvae of O rubescens have also been observed in the wild to consume krill 9 As part of its feeding behavior O rubescens will pounce on prey and display a stereotypical sequence of color changes at the moment of capture 10 Following the capture of bivalve prey it will often drill a hole through the shell to deliver venom and more easily open the shell The octopuses will often concentrate their drill holes near the adductor muscles of the bivalve prey 11 A recent study when has suggested O rubescens may choose prey based on fat digestibility rather than on the amount of calories the octopuses are able to obtain from the food items 12 If this is true the authors further argue this would make O rubescens a specialist predator by some measures rather than a generalist due to its specific nutrient requirements Other behavior editSee also Cephalopod intelligence O rubescens was the first invertebrate in which individual personalities were demonstrated 13 In Popular Culture editDisney and Pixar s 2016 animated film Finding Dory a sequel to their 2003 film Finding Nemo features an East Pacific red octopus named Hank voiced by Ed O Neil as a prominent main character In the film Hank acts as a reluctant but persistent accomplice in assisting dory in reuniting with her family desiring her quarantine tag so he go to an aquarium in Cleveland to live in solitude He also suffers trauma from having lost a tentacle to which Dory refers to him as a septopus The true reason why Hank only has seven tentacles is because the animators were unable to fit eight on his model References edit Cosgrove James McDaniel Neil 2009 Super Suckers The giant Pacific octopus and other cephalopods of the Pacific coast Harbour Publishing ISBN 9781550174663 a b Onthank K L 2008 Aerobic metabolism and dietary ecology of Octopus rubescens PDF 2 4 MB M Sc Walla Walla University College Place WA 91 a b c Hochberg F G 1997 Octopus rubescens Proceedings of the workshop on the fishery and market potential of octopus in California Washington D C Smithsonian Institution Hochberg F G 1998 Octopus rubescens In P V Scott amp J A Blake Eds Taxonomic Atlas of the Benthic Fauna of the Santa Maria Basin and the Western Santa Barbara Channel Vol 8 pp 213 218 Santa Barbara California Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Berry S S 1953 Preliminary diagnoses of six west American species of Octopus Leaflets in Malacology 1 51 58 a b Dorsey E M 1976 Natural history and social behavior of Octopus rubescens Berry Seattle WA University of Washington p 44 Anderson R C 2006 On West Coast Octopuses including a field key to west coast species The Festivus 38 1 5 6 Anderson R C P D Hughes J A Mather amp C W Steele 1999 Determination of the diet of Octopus rubescens though examination of its beer bottle dens in Puget Sound Malacologia 41 2 455 460 Laidig T E Adams P B Baxter C H amp Butler J L 1995 Feeding on euphausiids by Octopus rubescens California Fish and Game Technical Report 81 2 77 79 Warren L R Scheier M F amp Riley D A 1974 Colour changes of Octopus rubescens during attacks on unconditioned and conditioned stimuli Animal Behaviour 22 1 211 219 doi 10 1016 S0003 3472 74 80071 0 Anderson R C Sinn D L amp Mather J A 2008 Drilling localization on bivalve prey by Octopus rubescens Berry 1953 Cephalopoda Octopodidae PDF The Veliger 50 4 326 328 Onthank K L and Cowles D L 2011 Prey selection in Octopus rubescens Possible roles of energy budgeting and prey nutritional composition Marine Biology 158 12 2795 2804 doi 10 1007 s00227 011 1778 4 Mather J A amp R C Anderson 1993 Personalities of Octopuses Octopus rubescens Journal of Comparative Psychology 107 3 336 340 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Octopus rubescens CephBase East Pacific red octopus Archived from the original on 2005 08 17 Walla Walla University Marine Invertebrate Key permanent dead link Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title East Pacific red octopus amp oldid 1158610379, wikipedia, 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