Kingdom Animalia Suborder Incirrina Scientific name Megaleledone setebos Rank Species | Class Cephalopoda Family Octopodidae Phylum Mollusca Order Octopus | |
Subfamily Megaleledoninae
Taki, 1961 Genus Megaleledone
Taki, 1961 Similar Octopus, Pareledone, Velodona togata, Benthoctopus, Graneledone | ||
Megaleledone setebos, the giant Antarctic octopus, is a very large octopus with a circum-Antarctic distribution. It grows to at least 28 cm in mantle length and 90 cm in total length. M. setebos feeds by drilling small holes in large, shelled mollusks, and then injecting its poisonous saliva. The venom even works at subfreezing temperatures.
This species was transferred to the genus Megaleledone and synonymised with Megaleledone senoi in a 2003 paper.
References
Megaleledone setebos Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA