Eledone cirrhosa, horned octopus
46 pages The horned octopus, Eledone cirrhosa has been known to science, under various names, since the 4th century BC. It occurs in the Northeast Atlantic, from Norway to Northwest Africa, and throughout the Mediterranean, at depths of 0–1000 m. Abundance is poorly known although several stock asse...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Book Part |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Academic Press
2024
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10261/365288 https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-820639-3.00021-2 |
| Summary: | 46 pages The horned octopus, Eledone cirrhosa has been known to science, under various names, since the 4th century BC. It occurs in the Northeast Atlantic, from Norway to Northwest Africa, and throughout the Mediterranean, at depths of 0–1000 m. Abundance is poorly known although several stock assessments in the Mediterranean have suggested significant overexploitation. The paralarvae are planktonic and juveniles move into deeper waters as they grow and mature. Females mature later in the year and at a larger size than males; they migrate inshore to spawn on hard substrates and typically lay 1000–6000 eggs, which they then guard. The life cycle may last up to 2 years. Life cycle stages are generally seasonal, albeit with considerable variation in the timing of life cycle events such as spawning. As illustrated by new results from Portugal, life history metrics such as the length-weight relationship also vary seasonally, e.g., because the individuals sampled in different months hatched at different times of year and experienced different environmental conditions. The species is important as a predator (of crustaceans, fish, cephalopods, gastropods, annelids, and echinoderms) and as prey for large fish and marine mammals. Although less important as a fishery resource than Octopus vulgaris, it is regularly landed and marketed. It hosts a range of parasites and can bioaccumulate high concentrations of metals. Risks to consumers are higher if the viscera are eaten. The immune system, responses to stress, and conditions needed for captive rearing have been described. Research is needed to resolve taxonomic issues, e.g., the status of E. c. zetlandica, to elucidate biology and ecology during the planktonic period, further develop and validate age determination methods, investigate the physiological mechanisms underlying responses to changing environmental conditions, and describe spatiotemporal variation in trophic relationships, parasites, and contaminant burdens Peer reviewed |
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