Browsing by Author "Kelly, Jesse T."
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- Deep-sea seven-arm octopus hijacks jellyfish in shallow watersPublication . Rosa, Rui; Kelly, Jesse T.; Lopes, Vanessa M.; Paula, José R.; Gonçalves, João M.; Calado, Ricardo; Norman, Mark D.; Barreiros, João P.Pelagic octopods have secondarily left the seafloor and evolved a holopelagic existence. One of the most striking adaptations among a suite of related pelagic octopod families (superfamily Argonautoidea) is their associations with gelatinous zooplankton (jellyfishes and salps). Here, we report a unique interaction between a male octopod (Haliphron atlanticus) and a jellyfish (Pelagia noctiluca) at the sea surface. The oral-to-oral surface orientation of this encounter and sizes of the animals seem not to fit the explanations of camouflage, shelter, and/or transportation for the octopod or “weapons stealing” strategies observed to date in other pelagic octopods. While maneuvering the jelly, H. atlanticus appears to use the jelly’s marginal nematocystic tentacles for protection. This constitutes further evidence that all four octopod families of the Argonautoidea display various interactions with gelatinous zooplankton.
- Hijacking, hitchhiking and burglary behaviors of pelagic octopusesPublication . Rosa, Rui; Kelly, Jesse T.; Norman, Mark; Lopes, Vanessa M.; Paula, José R.; Gonçalves, João M.; Barreiros, João P.Pelagic octopuses are a highly specialized group of octopuses that have secondarily left the seafloor and evolved a holopelagic existence. One of the most striking adaptations amongst a suite of related pelagic octopus families (superfamily Argonautoidea) is their associations with gelatinous zooplankton (jellyfishes and salps). Here, we report footage of a never-before-seen interaction in nature (here coined as “hijacking” behavior), between a male octopus (Haliphron atlanticus) and a venomous jelly (Pelagia noctiluca) at the surface ocean. The peculiar orientation of this encounter and size of the intruder opposes the pelagic “hitchhiking” and the “burglary/weapon stealing” strategies observed to date in these pelagic octopuses. The “hijacking” behavior is a more complex interaction. While maneuvering the jelly (and possibly ingesting it), H. atlanticus appears to be using the jelly’s marginal nematocystic tentacles to hunt. This constitutes the first evidence that all four octopod families of the Argonautoidea display opportunistic associations with gelatinous zooplankton, and establishes a new category of biotic associations.