Patagonian red octopus
Enteroctopus megalocyathus, also known as Patagonian red octopus (EN), Pulpo del sur (Chile) and Pulpo colorado (Argentina); is a medium-sized octopus, and the type species for the genus Enteroctopus.
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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MolluscivoreA molluscivore is a carnivorous animal that specializes in feeding on molluscs such as gastropods, bivalves, brachiopods, and cephalopods. Known mo...
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PiscivoresA piscivore is a carnivorous animal that eats primarily fish. Piscivorous is equivalent to the Greek-derived word ichthyophagous. Fish were the die...
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NatatorialNatatorial animals are those adapted for swimming. Some fish use their pectoral fins as the primary means of locomotion, sometimes termed labriform...
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PolygynyPolygyny is a mating system in which one male lives and mates with multiple females but each female only mates with a single male.
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PolygamyPolygamy is the practice of breeding with multiple partners. When a male breeds with more than one female at the same time – it is called polygyny....
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SolitaryNo
Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withE. megalocyathus is a relatively large octopus, though not as large as some other giant octopuses like Enteroctopus dofleini. E. megalocyathus has an average mass of around 4 kg. Although, some individuals have outweighed this and reached till 7.5 kg (M) and 8 kg (F). A mantle length of 22.5 cm, and in excess of 1 m in total length, but other author reported a max. total length in Chile of 1.3 m. E. megalocyathus, like other octopuses in the genus Enteroctopus, has longitudinal folds and grooves on the body and large, paddle-like papillae.
This octopus is native to the southeastern coast of South America along the coasts of Argentina (Atlantic Ocean) and Chile (Pacific Ocean). In Chile ranges from north Patagonia, Chiloé Archipelagoto Strait of Magellan and even more at 56°S, and in Argentina from the San Matías Gulf to the Beagle Channel, including the Falkland Islands and the Burdwood bank.
Its vertical range distribution in the water column is from 0 m depth (e.g. juvenile in intertidal rocky shore) to 220 m depth (e.g. seen in bottom crab traps) in Chile.
In general it is an opportunistic predator and eats crabs, teleost fishes, some molluscs e.g. clams, mussels, sea snails among other prey. In Southern Chile, specifically in Los Lagos region, the adults octopuses prefer to eat big crabs like jaiba reina, jaiba peluda and even other E. megalocyathus as they are cannibal, as well as other species; meanwhile the younger octopuses prefer to eat jaiba mora, crab eggs, shrimp and squat lobster or langostino de los canales.
