A new species of Stauroteuthis (Octopoda: Cirrata) and further novel cirrate octopods from Australian waters

ABSTRACT

New deep-sea finned octopods (Octopoda: Cirrata) in the genera Stauroteuthis and Cirrothauma (Cirroteuthidae) are reported from Australian waters. One new species of Stauroteuthis, S. kengrahami n. sp., is reported from southeastern Australia, a second, S. ?gilchristi from off Macquarie Island, and one specimen collected from off Heard Island is provisionally referred to Cirrothauma magna. A single female Luteuthis dentatus (Grimpoteuthididae) is also reported from Macquarie Island, and additional specimens of Grimpoteuthis greeni are reported from the Great Australian Bight. These new records and new species increase the diversity of Australian cirrate octopuses from six to 10 species, covering all recognised cirrate genera excepting Cryptoteuthis, and emphasise how much remains to be learned regarding Australia’s deep-sea cephalopods.

KEYWORDS:

• Biodiversity
• Cirrothauma
• Cirroteuthidae
• deep-sea
• Grimpoteuthididae
• Grimpoteuthis
• Luteuthis
• systematics
• taxonomy

Publication LSID:

• urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:E2947D06-F025-43B9-A6B3-DBA19E1005F5

Acknowledgements

Dr Steve O’Shea is thanked for originally bringing my attention to the specimen herein described as S. kengrahami n. sp. and is also thanked for providing a thorough review of the manuscript which improved it substantially, as did the comments of an anonymous reviewer. Dr Amanda Reid (Collection Manager, Malacology, Australian Museum) is thanked for lending the S. kengrahami n. sp. specimen. South Australian Museum curators Dr Andrea Crowther (Senior Collection Manager, Marine Invertebrates) and Dr Shirley Sorokin (Collection Manager) are also thanked for lending specimens. Dr Chung Cheng Lu is thanked for patiently responding to my numerous questions about MV specimens. Staff at the NHM, Mr Jonathan Ablett (Senior Curator of Molluscs) and Mr Kevin Webb are thanked for providing excellent photography of comparative material. I would also like to thank the curatorial staff at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery for assistance with specimen loans, and kindly giving permission to use laboratories and photography equipment, Dr Kirrily Moore (collection manager, Invertebrate Zoology), Dr Simon Grove (senior curator, Invertebrate Zoology), and Dr Cathy Byrne (senior curator, Zoology). Mr Chris Rowley (collection manager, Marine Invertebrates) of Museums Victoria, is thanked for excellent photography of the cirrate egg as well his hospitality and assistance during a visit to the Melbourne Museum collections in late 2022. Mohamed Nishath Mohamed Nizar (Project Officer, Marine Invertebrates), also of MV, is thanked for providing photography. Tim Lamb of the Australian Antarctic Division (Kingston) is thanked for providing locality data for specimens collected by fisheries vessels.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).