Octopus

Hab. Off East Moncoeiir Island, Bass Strait, 38 fathoms (Station 162). One specimen, ♀.

The Body is evenly rounded, with a slight depression in the median ventral line. The mantle-opening extends less than halfway round the body, terminating immediately below the eye, and further from it than from the base of the siphon, which is long and pointed, has rather a small opening, and extends two thirds the distance of the umbrella-margin. The Head is short, and not so broad as the body; the eyes are only slightly prominent. The Arms are subequal, nearly four times the length of the body, and taper evenly to line points. The umbrella, extends one third up the arms and is a little wider laterally than dorsally. The suckers are closely set, deeply cupped, and marked with regular radial grooves; their biserial arrangement com ­ mences immediately after the first. One arm bears a super ­ numerary sucker in the largest specimen. The circumoral lip is low and narrow. The Surface is covered with warts, which are largest and most numerous on the dorsal surface of the body, head, and umbrella, and dorsal aspects of the arms, where they have a quadrifid or quinquefid form, usually with a small wartlet in the centre, each forming a figure like a star or rosette. To ­ wards the ventral surface and on the sides of the arms the warts are simple and much smaller. On the back are about ten long cirri, which are rough with small warts, and above each eye is a very large arborescent cirrus with six or seven smaller ones beside it. The Colour is a pale purplish grey, shading oft' to a creamy white on the a antral surface.

Off Twofold Bay, Australia, 150 fathoms (Station 163 A). Two specimens, 1 ♀, 1 juv.