Sreeja Vijayamma, Norman Mark D, Kumar Appukuttannair Biju
Department of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram 695581, Kerala, India.; Email:
Department of Zoology, Christian College, Chengannur, Kerala, India.; Email:
Zootaxa. 2015 Dec 16;4058(2):244-56. doi: 10.11646/zootaxa.4058.2.6.
Octopuses of the genus Cistopus Gray, 1849 are commercially valuable catches in the cephalopod fisheries of India. The primary and unique diagnostic character of this genus is the possession of eight small mucous pouches embedded in the oral faces of the webs between the bases of each arm. Historically only a single species of Cistopus, C. indicus, had been reported from Indian waters. In reviewing the octopod fauna off the Kerala coast, we have detected three species of Cistopus, of which one is described here as a new species. Cistopus platinoidus sp. nov. is distinct from Cistopus species described to date (C. indicus, C. taiwanicus and C. chinensis) on the basis of sucker counts, the number and position of enlarged suckers in males, and presence/absence of a calamus. Our studies of catch composition of Kerala octopod fisheries indicate a higher diversity of target species than previously suspected, including a number of undescribed species. Taxonomic resolution and collation of biological and distributional data are required for effective monitoring and management of these valuable fisheries.
1849年格雷命名的西斯托普斯属章鱼是印度头足类渔业中有商业价值的捕捞对象。该属的主要独特诊断特征是在每条腕基部之间的蹼的口面有八个小黏液囊。历史上，印度海域仅报道过一种西斯托普斯属章鱼，即印度西斯托普斯章鱼。在对喀拉拉邦海岸的章鱼动物区系进行综述时，我们发现了三种西斯托普斯属章鱼，其中一种在此被描述为新物种。新物种铂色西斯托普斯章鱼在吸盘数量、雄性放大吸盘的数量和位置以及是否有角质环等方面与迄今已描述的西斯托普斯属物种（印度西斯托普斯章鱼、台湾西斯托普斯章鱼和中华西斯托普斯章鱼）不同。我们对喀拉拉邦章鱼渔业渔获物组成的研究表明，目标物种的多样性比以前怀疑的要高，包括一些未描述的物种。为了对这些有价值的渔业进行有效监测和管理，需要进行分类学解析以及生物和分布数据的整理。
