Vol. 49 No. 3, 2010

A new species of Opisthoteuthis, O. dongshaensis sp. nov., from the South China Sea (Octopoda: Cirrata: Opisthoteuthidae)

Chung-Cheng Lu*

Department of Life Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan

Chung-Cheng Lu (2010) A new species of the cirrate octopod Opisthoteuthis dongshaensis sp. nov. is described from the vicinity of the Dong Sha Is., South China Sea.  The species is unique in the mature males having enlarged suckers on the distal field only on arms III and IV.  Suckers on the distal field of arms I and II of mature males are not enlarged.  This is the 2nd nominal species of Opisthoteuthis reported from the South China Sea, the other being O. japonica.

Key words: Opisthoteuthis, Dong Sha Is., Pratas Is., South China Sea.

*Correspondence: Fax: 886-4-2287-4740.  E-mail:cclu@dragon.nchu.edu.tw