First detection of an ocellate octopus in the Revillagigedos ecoregion, a biodiversity hotspot located in the Tropical East Pacific Province

Scientists have made a significant discovery in the Revillagigedos ecoregion, a biodiversity hotspot in the Tropical East Pacific Province: the first detection of an ocellate octopus, Octopus oculifer. Traditionally considered endemic to the Galapagos Archipelago, this species was identified using morphological criteria and molecular data from two mitochondrial genes (COIII and COI). The study also suggests that O. mimus, O. hubbsorum, and O. oculifer may form a closely related species complex with three distinct morphotypes, challenging previous assumptions about their evolutionary relationships. Researchers found that the presence of ocelli does not determine these octopuses' evolutionary connections, revealing a new clade comprised of both ocellate and non-ocellate species. This finding marks a milestone in understanding cephalopod biodiversity in the region.

Valdez-Cibrián, A., Díaz-Santana-Iturrios, M., Landa-Jaime, V., & Michel-Morfín, J. E. (2020). First detection of an ocellate octopus in the Revillagigedos ecoregion, a biodiversity hotspot located in the Tropical East Pacific Province. ZooKeys, 986, 81–100. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.986.53250