Red Octopus, Octopus rubescens Berry, 1953 (Cephalopoda: Octopodidae), in the Mexican tropical Pacific

Abstract

“Octopus” rubescens Berry, 1953 is an octopus of temperate waters of the western coast of North America. This paper presents the first record of “O.” rubescens from the tropical Mexican Pacific. Twelve octopuses were studied; 10 were collected in tide pools from five localities and two mature males were caught by fishermen in Oaxaca. We used morphometric characters and anatomical features of the digestive tract to identify the species. The five localities along the Mexican Pacific coast provide solid evidence that populations of this species have become established in tropical waters.

Keywords

• Artisanal fishery
• cryptic species
• Gulf of Tehuan