Wild Wunderpus photogenicus and Octopus cyanea employ asphyxiating ‘constricting’ in interactions with other octopuses
Christine L. Huffard (@mucktopus), Mike Bartick 2014 (subscription)
Mucktopus has mentioned and provided TONMO with prior images of a female cyanea enveloping and consuming a male. I suspect this became part of the information in this paper.
Christine L. Huffard (@mucktopus), Mike Bartick 2014 (subscription)
Mucktopus has mentioned and provided TONMO with prior images of a female cyanea enveloping and consuming a male. I suspect this became part of the information in this paper.
Abstract
Aggressive constricting including asphyxiation was observed in wild octopuses (Octopus cyanea Gray, 1849, and Wunderpus photogenicus Hochberg, Norman & Finn, 200616. Hochberg, F.G., Norman, M.D. & Finn, J. (2006) Wunderpus photogenicus n. gen. and sp., a new Octopus from the shallow waters of the Indo-Malayan Archipelago (Cephalopoda: Octopodidae). Molluscan Research 26, 128–140.
[Web of Science ®]
View all references). The distal portion of a dorsolateral arm formed a loop around the mantle of another octopus, in at least one case preventing the flow of water into the mantle, over the gills and out of the funnel. Constricting also may have prevented the subordinate individual from releasing ink, a possible irritant and predator attractant. A female O. cyanea used constricting as a form of fatal aggression to asphyxiate a male as part of apparent sexual cannibalism. This female killed a male with which she was mating using the ‘distance’ position. Constriction allowed a W. photogenicus to win during physical interspecific aggression with a close relative, Thaumoctopus mimicus Norman & Hochberg, 200532. Norman, M.D. & Hochberg, F.G. (2005) The ‘Mimic Octopus’ (Thaumoctopus mimicus n. gen. et. sp.), a new octopus from the tropical Indo-West Pacific (Cephalopoda: Octopodidae). Molluscan Research 25, 57–70.
View all references. This action took place near an immediately available food source and interrupted foraging by T. mimicus, providing possible evidence of interference competition among closely related sympatric cephalopod species in the wild.