Abstract
Shallow-water marine invertebrate fauna is diverse in tropical latitudes but generally poorly known. This is in part due the remoteness of many of these regions, and a lack of locally trained taxonomists. In such cases, the ethnoknowledge (i.e., information acquired from the sociocultural references of a given social group) of traditional human populations may be a valuable tool to elucidate gaps in the occurrence of some taxa. In this study, we used a combined approach of ethnoknowledge, classic taxonomy and molecular techniques to describe and diagnose an unsettled species of shallow-water octopus of the genusCallistoctopus. A neotype for the Brazilian eastern octopusCallistoctopus furvus(Gould, 1852) is described along with some ecological notes. Octopuses were collected between April and May 2018 during field trips guided by artisanal octopus fishers of Bahia State (Brazil). A linear discriminant analysis showed that the morphology ofC. furvusoverlapped poorly withCallistoctopussp. from the Caribbean and Macaronesia (Madeira Archipelago) as well as withCallistoctopus macropus stricto sensufrom Mediterranean Sea. Analysis of mitochondrial large ribosomal subunit (rrnL, also known as 16S) gene and cytochrome C oxidase I (COI) showed thatC. furvusdiffers genetically from EuropeanC. macropusand the other species in the genus. In general,C. furvusdiffers from other Atlantic/MediterraneanCallistoctopusspecies in having a slender body shape and longer mantle lengths. As in other species of the genus,C. furvusis nocturnal and inhabits sandy bottoms, seagrass beds and/or low-profile reefs. Interestingly,C. furvusburrows itself into the sand as a defense mechanism. In conclusion, we showed the support of ethnoknowledge for integrative biodiversity assessments in poorly surveyed remote areas in the western tropical Atlantic.
Highlights
Modern taxonomy has benefited greatly from advances in molecular techniques and tools in the last few decades (Radulovici et al, 2010; White and Last, 2012)
Based on earlier results (i.e., Martins et al, 2011; Jesus et al, 2015) that indicated the existence of an “unusual” shallowwater octopus off Bahia State, an ethnoknowledge-based survey was designed to establish a baseline on the occurrence of Callistoctopus in Brazilian waters
The northernmost and easternmost record came from the Fernando de Noronha National Park (4◦S; an oceanic island) and the southernmost was near Arvoredo Biological Reserve (27.5◦S)
Summary
Modern taxonomy has benefited greatly from advances in molecular techniques and tools in the last few decades (Radulovici et al, 2010; White and Last, 2012). Knowledge on tropical shallow-water octopus fauna remains rudimentary (Voight, 1998; Leite et al, 2008; Lima et al, 2020), in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean, including the South American mainland and oceanic islands (Voss and Toll, 1998). Among these poorly known octopuses, the genus Callistoctopus comprises a speciose monophyletic group supported by both morphological and genetic analyses (Norman and Hochberg, 2005; Kaneko et al, 2011). Live Callistoctopus are brick red or bright red in color with white spots or blotches forming distinctive patterns on the body (Norman, 2000)
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