Graneledone taniwha
| Graneledone taniwha | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Mollusca |
| Class: | Cephalopoda |
| Order: | Octopoda |
| Family: | Megaleledonidae |
| Genus: | Graneledone |
| Species: | G. taniwha
|
| Binomial name | |
| Graneledone taniwha | |
Graneledone taniwha, the deepwater warty octopus,[2] is a deep-sea species of benthic octopus in the genus Graneledone. This is also one of two species of Graneledone endemic to New Zealand.[3] Graneledone taniwha lives in marine environments. One photographed specimen was found at 900 m (3,000 ft) depth on the Chatham Rise.[2]
Classification
The genus was described by New Zealand marine biologist Steve O'Shea in NIWA Biodiversity Memoir 112, titled The marine fauna of New Zealand: Octopoda (Mollusca: Cephalopoda).[4] O'Shea writes that the differentiation of species of Grandeledone is difficult due to the similarities of characteristics such as arm length and arm-sucker count. In his review of New Zealand octopoda, he expressed the necessity of examination of all named species.[4]
There are two subspecies, Graneledone taniwha kubodera and Graneledone taniwha taniwha, the second of which is not accepted by the World Register of Marine Species,[5] but others found the two to be sister taxa through a molecular phylogeny study.[3] The study argues that "the finding of reciprocal monophyly and species delimitation analyses suggested that the subspecies G. taniwha taniwha and G. taniwha kubodera are different species".[3]
Description
Graneledone taniwha taniwha is described as "uniformly rose pink to light red with small darker-red chromatophores."[4]
Graneledone taniwha kubodera is described as "moderate to large-sized animal" with large eyes and slender arms.[4]
Etymology
Graneledone taniwha taniwha is named after the taniwha, a supernatural creature from Māori tradition.[4][6]
Graneledone taniwha kubodera is named after Japanese zoologist Tsunemi Kubodera for his contribution to studies on Graneledone.[5]
References
- ^ "Graneledone taniwha O'Shea, 1999". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
- ^ a b "Graneledone taniwha taniwha octopus". NIWA. Retrieved 19 November 2025.
- ^ a b c Ibáñez, Christian M.; Fenwick, Mark; Ritchie, Peter A.; Carrasco, Sergio A.; Pardo-Gandarillas, M. Cecilia (31 March 2020). "Systematics and Phylogenetic Relationships of New Zealand Benthic Octopuses (Cephalopoda: Octopodoidea)". Frontiers in Marine Science. 7 182. Bibcode:2020FrMaS...7..182I. doi:10.3389/fmars.2020.00182. ISSN 2296-7745.
- ^ a b c d e O'Shea, Steve (1999). The Marine Fauna of New Zealand: Octopoda (Mollusca: Cephalopoda) NIWA Biodiversity Memoir 112 (PDF). Wellington: National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research [NIWA]. ISBN 0-478 08486-2.
- ^ a b WoRMS Editorial Board (7 February 2017). "Graneledone taniwha O'Shea, 1999". World Register of Marine Species. doi:10.14284/170. Retrieved 19 November 2025.
- ^ "Taniwha | Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand". teara.govt.nz. Retrieved 19 November 2025.