FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes Western

Octopodidae 819
Octopus sp. A
Frequent synonyms / misidentifications: None / Octopus
membranaceus Quoy and Gaimard, 1832.
FAO names: En - Eye-bar ocellate octopus.
Diagnostic characters: Small to moderate-sized ocellate octopus.
Arms short to moderately long, 2.5 to 3 times mantle length.
Dorsal arms slightly shorter than other arms (arm formula
IV=III.II.I). Right third arm of males hectocotylized with moderate
length, elongate ligula (4 to 10% of arm length) with a shallow
groove. Gills with 8 to 10 lamellae per demibranch. Up to 150
suckers on each normal arm, 65 to 80 on hectocotylized arm of
male. Mature males possess 2 to 4 moderately enlarged suckers
(4 th to 8 th )onarmsII and III. Colour: pattern typically cream to
light green colour on all surfaces; short longitudinal bar
through each eye; dark brown or black lines along edges of
arms; ocellus present as black spot containing a fine iridescent
blue to purple ring (4 to 6 mm in diameter in adults);
head bar and longitudinal stripes on mantle absent; skin sculpture
of small low rounded papillae, interspersed by slightly larger
pink papillae; diamond of four longitudinal skin ridges on dorsal
mantle and large papilla over each eye.
Size: Maximum mantle length around 60 mm, total length to
around 250 mm.
Habitat, biology, and fisheries: Known from coastal waters on
mud and sand substrates, from intertidal shallows to a depth of
at least 60 m. Females lay small eggs, up to 3 mm long, often in
shells or bottles. Very important fisheries species collected primarily
from the Gulf of Thailand by trawlers. Exported throughout
the world on a large scale along with Octopus aegina (tens of
thousands of tonnes annually). Both species are sold and prepared
under the name “baby octopus” (at least in Australia and
the United States). The ocellate octopuses of Southeast Asia
require extensive revision. A number of undescribed taxa occur
throughout the area, several of which are treated under the name
O. membranaceus. Fisheries statistics for Octopus sp. A were
reported from Gulf of Thailand, under the name Octopus “membranaceus”.
Distribution: Found in tropical continental waters of Southeast
Asia, from at least Gulf of Thailand, through Indonesia to northern
Australia. dorsal view