Is there a consensus in the taxonomic community as to whether we should say Abdopus aculeatus or Octopus aculeatus? I saw that it's A. on Mucktopus' web site, referring to Norman, yet Norman's book says O.

And is Abdopus now synonymous with "Octopus Horridus Complex"?

Just curious...

:confused: I had never heard of Abdopus. :oops:

Bumping this in hopes Chrissy stops by!

Crissy can probably straighten this out better than I can, but see:

NORMAN, M.D. & FINN, J. 2001. Revision of the Octopus horridus species-group,
including erection of a new subgenus and description of two member species from the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Invertebrate Taxonomy. 15: 13 – 35.

The description of O. aculeatus was originally by D’ORBIGNY in 1834.

Roy

NORMAN, M.D. & FINN, J. 2001. Revision of the Octopus horridus species-group,
including erection of a new subgenus and description of two member species from the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Invertebrate Taxonomy. 15: 13 – 35.

Here's the abstract of that article...

http://www.publish.csiro.au/?paper=IT99018

Attributes of this group of octopuses are described and the subgenus Abdopus, subgen. nov. is here coined to define this group.

So it looks like Abdopus is the genus for the O. horridus species complex. I'm interested in reading the paper.

Joey

Norman coined the "Octopus horridus" species group in his dissertation (1993). He and Finn (2001) then erected the Abdopus sub-genus for this group. In 2005 Norman and Hochberg elevated Abdopus to a genus, and also resurrected several old generic names for other species groups (i.e. Callistoctopus for the Octopus macropus group; "The Cutrrent State of Octopus Taxonomy" from the proceedings of the 2003 the meeting of the Cephalopod International Advisory Committee).

So long story short- Joey is correct- the former "Octopus horridus species group" is now the genus Abdopus, and includes the species: A. horridus, A. aculeatus, A. abaculus, A. capricornus, and several others we hope to have described in the next year or so.

hope this helps,
Crissy

Is there a consensus in the taxonomic community

Never, always someone new to throw a wrench in the gears! :lol:

In 2005 Norman and Hochberg elevated Abdopus to a genus, and also resurrected several old generic names for other species groups (i.e. Callistoctopus for the Octopus macropus group; "The Cutrrent State of Octopus Taxonomy" from the proceedings of the 2003 the meeting of the Cephalopod International Advisory Committee).


So I am guessing this is the same paper O'Shea rants about here: http://www.tonmo.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6808...