Morphological and Molecular Characterization of Eggs and Paralarvae of Green Octopus, <i>Octopus hubbsorum</i> Berry 1953, from the Gulf of California
The green octopus, <i>Octopus hubbsorum</i>, is a merobenthic species that inhabits warm-temperate waters in the eastern Pacific. However, its similarity to some morphological characteristics of and its slight genetic divergence from <i>Octopus mimus</i> has led to the propos...
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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Diversity |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/17/7/470 |
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| Summary: | The green octopus, <i>Octopus hubbsorum</i>, is a merobenthic species that inhabits warm-temperate waters in the eastern Pacific. However, its similarity to some morphological characteristics of and its slight genetic divergence from <i>Octopus mimus</i> has led to the proposal that both species are conspecific. The objective of this study was the morphological and molecular identification of eggs and paralarvae of the green octopus, <i>O. hubbsorum</i>, to provide information contributing to clarifying its taxonomy and relationship with <i>O. mimus</i>. The results obtained show that although <i>O. hubbsorum</i> has similarities with <i>O. mimus</i> in terms of egg size, chromatophore pattern, number of suckers, and presence of Kölliker’s organs, the <i>O. hubbsorum</i> paralarvae observed in this study are smaller (1.6 mm) and have a thin layer of loose skin, not described for <i>O. mimus</i>. Likewise, the morphology of the beak, radula, and suckers of <i>O. hubbsorum</i> is described for the first time and there are no studies of these structures for <i>O. mimus</i>. The phylogenetic analysis (mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase subunit I and III genes) showed that both species form a monophyletic clade but belong to separate subclades. In conclusion, although the slight genetic divergence between these two species suggests conspecificity, their disjoint geographic distribution (<i>O. hubbsorum</i> is found in warm-temperate waters and <i>O. mimus</i> in cold-temperate waters) suggests the hypothesis of being two separate species with a close phylogenetic relationship. However, further research (morphological and population analyses) is required to solve taxonomic uncertainty. |
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| ISSN: | 1424-2818 |