Opisthoteuthis hardyi is a lesser-known octopus species. It was described in 2002 from a male caught off the Shag Rocks, which are far south in the Atlantic Ocean near the Falkland Islands.[3]
The specimen was medium-sized, with a mantle of 45 mm (1.8 in) long. The whole body was 250 mm (9.8 in) long.[4] It had some enlarged suckers, which is typical for male octopuses belonging to Opisthoteuthis. It also had a web connecting its long arms, which is common for cirrate octopuses and some incirrate octopuses.[3]
The specimen was found in the open ocean between 800 m (2,600 ft) and 1,000 m (3,300 ft) deep.[3] However, the true depth range is wider. After 2002, dozens more specimens, likely O. hardyi, were discovered on the Patagonian Shelf from 630–1,390 m (2,070–4,560 ft) deep.[5][6][7]
^Alan J. Southward; Craig M. Young; Lee A. Fuiman (June 2006). Advances in Marine Biology: Volume 50. Elsevier Science. ISBN9780080463339.
^Ashton Acton, Q. (2012). "New marine biology data have been reported by M.A. Collins and co-authors". Issues in Life Sciences: Aquatic and Marine Life: 2011 Edition. ScholarlyEditions. ISBN9781464965487.
