White-V Octopus?

[Nick Hope]

Recorded in the Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Is this a "white-V octopus", Abdopus sp., or another species? Unfortunately I didn't get any video of the end of the mantle where the white marking would be.

Also, is the white-V octopus generally accepted to be in the Abdopus genus (as opposed to Octopus genus etc.)?

Full screen, 720p HD may help!

 

[mucktopus]

Nice video. It's hard to tell fur sure without seeing the full mantle, but this could be white V or one known as the "brown mimic". White V is closely related to the mimic and Wunderpus, not in the genus Abdopus.

 

[Nick Hope]

Thanks very much for the info.. The 2010 Tropical Pacific Reef Creature Identification by Humann & DeLoach has the white V down as Abdopus sp., so it's interesting to get a different view. I guess it's impossible to say until it's properly described.

 

[mucktopus]

I don't know why it ended up being listed as that. We've done the moluecular work on it, so know it's not in Abdopus. White V lies in solidly with the mimic, Wunderpus, and the Hawaii Long Armed Sand octopus (also undescribed).