Octopus Vulgaris Cuvier Research Articles

Comparative Spectral Analysis of Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797, Jellyfish and Seawater from Aegean Sea, Evia, Greece

Research was conducted using the Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectral spectroscopy method on octopus, jellyfish, and seawater from the Aegean Sea, Chalkida, Evia Island, Greece. Our analyses of two peaks at 896 and 933 cm-1 indicate their presence in the octopus. These peaks are expressed in Martian minerals and meteorites. The results suggest that the octopus is adaptable to conditions on another planet. Our data provide a basis for speculating that it is an organism from Mars or another planet with similar characteristics. However, the spectral characteristics of the jellyfish and seawater do not correspond to the spectral characteristics of Martian minerals and meteorites. Studies have been conducted also on the microbial flora on the skin of octopus of the species Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797, captured in the Aegean Sea near Chalkida, Greece, on the island of Euboea (Evia). The aim was to assess their role as carriers of pathogenic microorganisms. Bacteria from the families Micrococcaceae and Enterobacteriaceae have been isolated, as well as Aeromonas hydrophilia ssp. hydrophilia, Enterococcus caseiflavus, and Candida lusitaniae. Staphylococci prevail, with the highest quantity being Staphylococcus simulans (107.67 + 10.21 CFU cm-2 on the head and 67.33 + 6.02 CFUcm-2 on the tentacles), followed by Staphylococcus piscifermentans (14.33+1.69 CFU cm-2 on the head and 37.33+1.25 CFU cm-2 on the tentacles) and Staphylococcus hyicus (3.67+1.25 CFU cm-2 on the head and 14.67 + 3.39 CFU cm-2 on the tentacles). Among the Gram-negative bacteria, Aeromonas hydrophilia ssp. hydrophilia piscifermentans predominated, found only on the head of octopuses at 9.67+2.05 CFU cm-2, followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae ssp. ozaenae, also isolated solely from the head (4.00+1.63 CFU cm-2). Escherichia coli was the least prevalent, but it was detected both on the head (2.67+0.47 CFU cm-2) and the tentacles of the studied animals (1.67+0.47 CFU cm-2). Enterococci and fungi were isolated in small quantities from the octopuses' heads and tentacles. The isolated bacteria demonstrated in vitro resistance to most of the tested antibiotics. They were only sensitive to broad-spectrum agents such as amphenicols, tetracyclines, aminoglycoside-aminocyclitols (excluding kanamycin), and quinolones. Staphylococci also showed sensitivity to some penicillins (ampicillin, amoxicillin). However, lincosamides (clindamycin) were ineffective in vitro against the studied bacteria. Potentiated sulfonamides exhibited high activity against the Gram-negative bacteria but not against Gram-positive ones.Aeromonas hydrophila is known to be pathogenic to marine inhabitants, including octopuses. S. simulans, E. coli, and K. pneumoniae are conditionally pathogenic to animals and humans. Their presence on the surface of the studied octopuses, especially E. coli, could indicate seawater fecal contamination and possibly other pathogenic species. The current results also reveal the distribution of multidrug-resistant bacterial strains, even among bacteria that are representatives of the normal microflora of octopuses.

Novel insights into the genetics, morphology, distribution and hosts of the global fish parasitic digenean Proctoeces maculatus (Looss, 1901) (Digenea: Fellodistomidae).

Larval stages of the widely distributed digenean species Proctoeces maculatus (Looss, 1901) were reported 40 years ago from South Africa in the common octopus, Octopus vulgaris Cuvier (Octopodidae). However, the absence of adult specimens and molecular data from this region has hindered a comprehensive understanding of its distribution. In this study, we collected three species of intertidal and near-shore marine fishes [Clinus superciliosus (L.) (Clinidae), Diplodus capensis (Smith) (Sparidae) and Sparodon durbanensis (Castelnau) (Sparidae)] along the South African coast and discovered adult specimens of P. maculatus at five localities. By employing a combination of morphological and molecular techniques, including 28S rDNA, 18S rDNA and COI mtDNA analyses, the first report of adult P. maculatus from South Africa is presented. The findings encompass a comprehensive morphological description and molecular data, illuminating the true distribution of this species in the region.

Insights on the Evolutionary History and Genetic Patterns of Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797 in the Northeastern Atlantic Using Mitochondrial DNA.

Octopus vulgaris is one of the most harvested octopus species in the world. In the Iberian Peninsula, there are several small-scale fisheries that have a long-term tradition of harvesting octopus. The Asturias fleet (in Northern Spain) has an internationally recognized MSC label for its exploitation. Of concern, genetic assessments of exploited stocks are currently scarce, which could prevent the implementation of adequate managing strategies. We use two mitochondrial regions (cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 and control region) to analyze the genetic status and evolutionary events that conditioned octopus populations' characteristics in the Northeastern Atlantic. A total of 90 individuals were sampled from three different localities in the Iberian Peninsula as well as a location in Macaronesia. Temporal genetic analyses on Asturias and Algarve populations were also performed. Results indicated the absence of fine spatial genetic structuring but showed the Canary Islands (in Macaronesia) as the most distinct population. Our analyses detected two distinct clades, already described in the literature, but, for the first time, we confirmed the presence of the α-southern haplogroup in the Northern Iberian Peninsula. This result indicates a more continuous cline for the distribution of these two haplogroups than previously reported. Temporal changes in the distribution of both haplogroups in contact zones were also detected.

Identifying Natural Bioactive Peptides from the Common Octopus (Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797) Skin Mucus By-Products Using Proteogenomic Analysis.

The common octopus is a cephalopod species subject to active fisheries, with great potential in the aquaculture and food industry, and which serves as a model species for biomedical and behavioral studies. The analysis of the skin mucus allows us to study their health in a non-invasive way, by using a hardly exploited discard of octopus in the fishing sector. A shotgun proteomics approach combined with liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) using an Orbitrap-Elite instrument was used to create a reference dataset from octopus skin mucus. The final proteome compilation was investigated by integrated in-silico studies, including Gene Ontology (GO), the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway, network studies, and prediction and characterization analysis of potential bioactive peptides. This work presents the first proteomic analysis of the common octopus skin mucus proteome. This library was created by merging 5937 identified spectra of 2038 different peptides. A total of 510 non-redundant proteins were identified. Obtained results show proteins closely related to the defense, which highlight the role of skin mucus as the first barrier of defense and the interaction with the environment. Finally, the potential of the bioactive peptides with antimicrobial properties, and their possible application in biomedicine, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical industry was addressed.

The settlement stage in the common octopus Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797: a complex transition between planktonic and benthic lifestyles

The settlement stage in the common octopus Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797: a complex transition between planktonic and benthic lifestyles

Evaluation of the concentrations of heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb) in Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797 (Cephalopoda Octopoda Octopodidae) fished in the port of Ghazaouet (western Algeria)

Evaluation of the concentrations of heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb) in Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797 (Cephalopoda Octopoda Octopodidae) fished in the port of Ghazaouet (western Algeria)

Study of the growth of Octopus vulgaris in the Moroccan Mediterranean Sea by direct age estimation through the analysis of upper beaks

Abstract Beaks are one of the most important sclerochronological structures used to study the age and growth of cephalopods, in particular Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797. The present study provides results of ageing of 128 O. vulgaris (56–239 mm dorsal mantle length, DML; 121–5974 g total weight, TW) collected in the southern Moroccan Mediterranean coasts between Fnideq and Jebha. The number of increments corresponding to the age (days since hatching) varied from 137–368 in females and from 129–382 in males. There was a significant correlation between beak and somatic growth. The correlation coefficients of the growth curves DML-Age and TW-Age were similar for both power and exponential models: DML = 0.185Age1.188 (R2 = 0.547), DML = 35.933e0.005Age (R2 = 0.546), TW = 0.00002Age3.260 (R2 = 0.532), TW = 29.56e0.014Age (R2 = 0.541). The average width of the increments was similar between females and males. It varied significantly with season and stage of sexual maturity. Comparison of the growth curve with those estimated by other authors showed that Moroccan Mediterranean O. vulgaris grew faster than that of Sardinia (Italy) and slower than that of the Mauritanian coast.

Protect the Natives to Combat the Aliens: Could Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797 Be a Natural Agent for the Control of the Lionfish Invasion in the Mediterranean Sea?

Biological invasions constitute a major threat to native ecosystems and to global biodiversity [...]

Octopus americanus: a cryptic species of the O. vulgaris species complex redescribed from the Caribbean

The common octopus Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797, once considered a cosmopolitan species, is a species complex composed by six species: O. tetricus, O. cf tetricus and O. sinensis in the Pacific; type I and II, in the West Atlantic; and type III in the Indian Ocean around South Africa. The tropical western central Atlantic is an important octopus fishing ground targeting O. maya, O. insularis, and a cryptic species considered to be O. vulgaris type I. In order to clarify the identification of this octopod, phylogenetic analyses were carried out with mitochondrial (COI and 16S) and nuclear (rhodopsin) genes, together with morphological analyses of 16 specimens caught in the northeastern continental shelf of Yucatan (Mexico). The main morphological traits differing from O. vulgaris were the presence, position and size of enlarged suckers and hectocotylus sucker number in males. Genetic distances and haplotype networks of the species complex were estimated using 285 COI sequences of nine Octopus species from 14 different locations around the world. The octopod sequences from Yucatan clustered within a monophyletic group that included sequences of O. vulgaris type II for the three genes analyzed. Phylogenetic distances with other members of the complex ranged between 2.71 and 3.89% using COI data. These genetic results support the presence of Octopus americanus Monfort, 1802 (formerly known as O. vulgaris type II) along the Yucatan continental shelf, a new octopod extending from the north of Argentina to the northwest coast of the USA.

Phylogeography of the insular populations of common octopus, Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797, in the Atlantic Macaronesia.

Exploited, understudied populations of the common octopus, Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797, occur in the northeastern Atlantic (NEA) throughout Macaronesia, comprising the Azores, Madeira and Canaries, and also the Cabo Verde archipelago. This octopus species, found from the intertidal to shallow continental-shelf waters, is largely sedentary, and the subject of intense, frequently unregulated fishing effort. We infer connectivity among insular populations of this octopus. Mitochondrial control region and COX1 sequence datasets reveal two highly divergent haplogroups (α and β) at similar frequencies, with opposing clinal distributions along the sampled latitudinal range. Haplogroups have different demographic and phylogeographic patterns, with origins related to the two last glacial maxima. FST values suggest a significant differentiation for most pairwise comparisons, including insular and continental samples, from the Galicia and Morocco coasts, with the exception of pairwise comparisons for samples from Madeira and the Canaries populations. Results indicate the existence of genetically differentiated octopus populations throughout the NEA. This emphasizes the importance of regulations by autonomous regional governments of the Azores, Madeira and the Canaries, for appropriate management of insular octopus stocks.

Ahtapot (Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797)’un tanklarda bireysel yetiştiriciliği: İlk sonuçlar

The effects of individual rearing technique on the growth and survival of Octopus vulgaris (Cuvier, 1797) were investigated. Therefore, wild octopuses were reared in the transparent, perforated and caped polyethylene terephthalate (PET) pots (10 l). The assay was established as one free group rearing as a control (12.7 kg/m3 of stoking density) and two individual rearing groups as I1 and I2 (13.8 kg/m3 and 18.3 kg/m3 of stoking density, respectively). The individuals were fed mainly fresh or thawed fish at 5% body weight per day. The experiments lasted for 120 days. The acclimatization period of the octopuses lasted within 3-5 days in the individual rearing and 7-10 days in the free group rearing. The final survival rates were 100% for the control and I1 or 85.7% for I2 (P>0.05). Statistically, differences were not found among the growth or specific growth rates (between 0.5 and 0.6%/day for the trials) (P>0.05). The maximum density (30.7 kg/m3) was obtained from the I2 trial.

Abundance prediction and influence of environmental parameters in the abundance of Octopus (Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797) in the Gulf of Cadiz

Understanding the processes that influence octopus abundance is important in order to manage the fishing grounds and offer advice on the exploitation of this important resource. Fluctuations in abundance of exploited stocks may be due to a great variety of factors. However, in short-lived animals such as cephalopods, in which abundance depends on strength of the recruitment, it is well known that population abundance is highly influenced by the environmental conditions.In this study we investigated the relationship between octopus (Octopus vulgaris) catches from the fishery located in the area off the Gulf of Cadiz (Spanish South Atlantic Region) and several hydrographic and oceanographic parameters such as sea surface temperature, surface chlorophyll-a, inorganic surface turbidity and climatic indicators such as the NAO index, rain, WeMoi Index, AMO index and or Guadalquivir River discharges. In addition, a recruitment index was obtained from fishery-independent surveys, which was also used to investigate its effect on annual catches. Results revealed that abundance of octopus showed a significant negative relationship with rain in the previous year as well as a positive effect of the recruitment index.We have obtained a model using the rain and the recruit index to forecast the catches.This model explained a high percentage of variation in annual catches and was used to forecast the next year’s catch providing results within the expected confidence intervals. This represents a potentially useful tool to guide fishery managers since no assessment of the species is currently conducted in the area.

Exploring the embryonic development of upper beak in Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797: New findings and implications for age estimation

The beak of cephalopods (in particular octopods, where statoliths are not suitable) is a useful tool for age estimation and the aging method provides essential information on cephalopod growth and life cycles. These parameters are valuable in the assessment of population dynamics and stock management. The embryonic development of cephalopod beaks is poorly known. The presence of pre-hatching increments on the reading areas (rostrum and lateral walls) is unclear and there are no data on temperature influence. In this study, egg clusters of Octopus vulgaris were reared at 16, 19, 21, 23, and 26 °C. The extracted upper jaws were observed in order to validate the age of first daily increment formation, assessing the accuracy of age inferred from the two reading areas. Jaw dimensions were also measured in order to explore the development at different temperature conditions. The growth rate was calculated for beaks of rearing condition 21 °C, and the overall dimensions were compared among all incubation temperatures. Three ad hoc developmental stages are proposed for the upper beak of O. vulgaris embryos. Increments on lateral walls appear during the second phase, whereas the first increment on the rostrum is visible only at hatching. Consequently, only the accuracy of age inferred from the rostrum surface is confirmed for the early stages. The growth rate of the rostrum region accounted for a drop in growth during the third phase. Conversely, the growth rate increased until hatching in lateral walls, suggesting that the heterogeneity of the growth rate could be due to the different role played by the beak areas. Temperature influenced beaks in terms of overall size, as embryos reared at a warm temperature (23 °C) were smaller than the others. These results confirm that the incubation environment could alter hatchling characteristics thus affecting the recruitment conditions.

Preliminary Results on Light Conditions Manipulation in Octopus vulgaris (Cuvier, 1797) Paralarval Rearing

High paralarvae mortality is a major bottleneck currently hindering the control over the lifecycle of common octopus (Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797). It is believed that this problem might be related to either zoo-technical and/or nutritional aspects. The present paper is focused on the study of different zoo-technical aspects related to light conditions on the rearing of paralarvae, including the effects of polarization in prey ingestion, the use of a blue filter to simulate natural conditions, and the use of focused light to avoid reflections of the rearing tank’s walls. In the first experiment, O. vulgaris paralarvae ingestion of Artemia sp. and copepods (Tisbe sp.) was assessed under either normal or polarized light. In the second experiment, the effect of a blue filter with natural light or focused artificial light on growth and mortality was assessed over 15 days of rearing. Ingestion rate was not influenced by light polarization. Nonetheless, a significantly higher ingestion of Artemia sp. with respect to copepods was observed. The blue filter promoted the use of natural light conditions in Octopus paralarval culture, while focused light reduced the collision of the paralarvae against the walls. However, no significant differences were found in paralarval growth nor survival.

Genetic population structure and phylogeny of the common octopus Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797 in the western Mediterranean Sea through nuclear and mitochondrial markers

Genetic information is crucial for the proper exploitation of Octopus vulgaris, the most commercially valuable octopus species worldwide. The main aim of the present study was to investigate genetic structure, with the intent to inform effective management of the common octopus in Sardinia (western Mediterranean Sea), one of the most productive areas within Italian waters. Patterns of population structure were assessed in 246 specimens from seven population samples. Variation in five nuclear-encoded microsatellites and sequences of two mitochondrial genes (COI and COIII) highlighted high variability and low but significant genetic differentiation among populations, which clustered into four groups corresponding to the north, northwest, south, and east coasts of Sardinia. Secondarily, the sequence data from Sardinia were compared with GenBank data from other areas. AMOVA and Bayesian analyses supported the occurrence of significant differences within the Mediterranean Sea, and between Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean samples. The described genetic differentiation at a regional geographical scale could be determined by a combination of historical and/or current events restricting gene flow. The occurrence of significant genetic structuring at different spatial scales is an important piece of information to define the most appropriate conservation strategies in the area, both at the local and regional level.

Three new species of Heteromysis (Mysida, Mysidae, Heteromysini) from the Cape Peninsula, South Africa, with first documentation of a mysid-cephalopod association.

Faunistic studies in sublittoral and littoral marine habitats on the Cape Peninsula, South Africa, have yielded three new species belonging to the genus Heteromysis, subgenus Heteromysis: H. cancelli sp. n. associated with the diogenid hermit crab Cancellus macrothrix Stebbing, 1924, and H. fosteri sp. n. extracted from ‘empty’ urchin and gastropod shells. The first documented mysid-cephalopod association is reported for H. octopodis sp. n. which was found in dens occupied by Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797, but was also captured from tide pools. The three new species differ from previously known E. Atlantic species, among other characters, by a single spine on the endopods of uropods in combination with large cornea and absence of median sternal processes on thoracic somites. They are also characterized by a white stripe along the dorso-lateral terminal margin of the eyestalks in living specimens. The new species appear quite similar to each other, but are distinguished by different depths of the telson cleft, different distributions of spines on the lateral margins of the telson, different numbers of segments on thoracic endopod 4, and by differently modified setae on the carpus of the third thoracic endopod, as well as on the carpopropodus of the fourth endopod. An updated key to the species of Heteromysis known from the E. Atlantic is given.

3D Reconstruction of the Digestive System in Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797 Embryos and Paralarvae during the First Month of Life.

Octopus vulgaris aquaculture is limited due to poor biological knowledge of the paralarval stages (e.g., digestive system functionality), their nutritional requirements (e.g., adequate live diet) and standardization of rearing techniques. These factors are important in explaining the high mortality rate observed in this developmental stage under culture conditions. For a better understanding of nutrition biology of this species, we investigated the 3D microanatomy of the digestive tract of the embryo and paralarvae during the first month of life. O. vulgaris paralarvae digestive system is similar to that in the adult. The “descending branch” has a dorsal position and is formed by the buccal mass, oesophagus and crop. Ventrally, the “ascending branch” is formed by the intestine and the anus. The digestive gland, the posterior salivary glands and the inner yolk sac (in the case of the embryo and hatched paralarvae) are located between the “ascending” and “descending” branches. In the curve of the U-shaped digestive tract, a caecum and the stomach can be found. The reconstructions reveal that anatomically the digestive system is already complete when the paralarvae hatch. The reconstruction of the buccal mass at different post-hatching days has demonstrated that all the necessary structures for food intake are present. However, the radula surface in contact with the pharynx is very small on the first day of life. Although the digestive system has all the structures to feed, the digestive gland and radula take longer to reach full functionality. We have established four development periods: embryonic, early post-hatching, late post-hatching and juvenile-adult. The differentiation between these periods was done by type of feeding (endogenous or exogenous), the state of maturation and hence functionality of the digestive gland, type of growth (linear, no net, or exponential), and measurement of the arm lengths with respect to the mantle length. 3D reconstruction represents a new tool to study the morphology and functionality of the cephalopod digestive system during the first days of life.

Occurrence of Octopus insularis Leite and Haimovici, 2008 in the Tropical Northwestern Atlantic and implications of species misidentification to octopus fisheries management

The genus Octopus has been treated as a “catch all” taxon because many species have morphological similarities. To investigate the taxonomic status of the Octopus species in the Tropical Northwestern Atlantic (TNA) and the Tropical Southwestern Atlantic (TSA), we sampled Octopus insularis Leite and Haimovici, 2008 in three areas of the northeastern Brazilian coast, four Brazilian oceanic islands and one island in Western Caribbean, Mexico. Samples of Octopus maya Voss and Solis, 1966 were obtained from the cultivation center of the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM) in Sisal city. Specimens previously identified as Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797 were collected in two regions of southeast Brazil, in an industrial port in Progreso city (southern Gulf of Mexico) and from a fish market in Isla Mujeres, Mexico (Western Caribbean). Molecular species attribution was completed based on morphology of fresh specimens identified by an octopus specialist and then checked against previous identification (cultivation center and GenBank sequences). Molecular analysis of both mitochondrial (cytochrome oxidase I) and nuclear genes (elongation factor-1α), including GenBank data, confirmed that one specimen collected at the Western Caribbean from Mexico and identified as O. insularis, shared the same haplotype of the species from the type locality, indicating the occurrence of this species in the Caribbean Sea. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that 21 GenBank sequences from TNA identified as O. vulgaris grouped within the O. insularis clade and are most likely to be to the latter species. The COI analysis also showed that 18 individuals collected in fishing landings and fish markets, previously identified as O. vulgaris, had the identical haplotype of O. maya collected in the UNAM cultivation center. These results corroborate the misidentification of species in Mexican fisheries. Based on molecular and morphological data we extended the distribution of O. insularis to the TNA and revealed cases of misidentification among the most commercially exploited octopus species in this region.

Effect of low salinity on survival and ingested food of the common octopus, Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1797

ABSTRACTThis study analyzes the effect of low salinity on survival and daily food ingestion of octopus subjected to three different water salinities (20, 25, and 30 psu) for 3 days. During the 3-day experiment, octopuses at 20 psu immediately stopped eating, and all died during the first day; at 25 and 30 psu, the octopuses gradually reduced their feed intake and stopped eating after 2 days, but all survived, and when normal salinity conditions were reestablished (34–35 psu), they ingested 30–40 (~27.5% of the initial food intake) and 70–90 g of food/day (~63% of the initial food intake) respectively over the 5-day recovery period. Water salinity of 30 psu could be considered as the recommended lower limit below which actions, such as transferring the commercial floating cages to another location or submerging them, should be taken in order to prevent the negative effects of low salinities on farmed octopuses.

Skin lesion-associated pathogens from Octopus vulgaris: first detection of Photobacterium swingsii, Lactococcus garvieae and betanodavirus.

The common octopus Octopus vulgaris Cuvier, 1798 is extremely important in fisheries and is a useful protein source in most Mediterranean countries. Here we investigated pathogens associated with skin lesions in 9 naturally deceased specimens that included both cultured and wild common octopus. Within 30 min after death, each octopus was stored at 4°C and microbiologically examined within 24 h. Bacterial colonies, cultured from swabs taken from the lesions, were examined using taxonomical and biochemical analyses. Vibrio alginolyticus and V. parahaemolyticus were only isolated from cultured animals. A conventional PCR targeting the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene and sequencing were performed on 2 bacterial isolates that remained unidentified after taxonomical and biochemical analysis. The sequence results indicated that the bacteria had a 99% identity with Lactococcus garvieae and Photobacterium swingsii. L. garvieae was confirmed using a specific PCR based on the 16S-23S rRNA internal transcribed spacer region, while P. swingsii was confirmed by phylogenetic analyses. Although all animals examined were found to be infected by the protozoan species Aggregata octopiana localised in the intestines, it was also present in skin lesions of 2 of the animals. Betanodavirus was detected in both cultured and wild individuals by cell culture, PCR and electron microscopy. These findings are the first report of L. garvieae and betanodavirus from skin lesions of common octopus and the first identification of P. swingsii both in octopus skin lesions and in marine invertebrates in Italy.