Scientific Note

A new record for a Tremoctopus violaceus Chiaie, 1830 (Mollusca,

Tremoctopodidae) from Rio de Janeiro coast, southeastern Brazil

RAFAEL DE ALMEIDA TUBINO1,2, LUIZ EDUARDO DE SOUZA MORAES3, CARLOS

AUGUSTO RANGEL2 & CASSIANO MONTEIRO-NETO2
1
Laboratório Multidisciplinar de Biologia, Universidade Gama Filho, CEP 20740-900, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. E-mail:
[email protected]
2
Laboratório de Biologia do Necton e Ecologia Pesqueira, Departamento de Biologia Marinha, Pós-Graduação em
Biologia Marinha, Universidade Federal Fluminense. Caixa postal 100644, CEP 24001-970, Niterói, Brazil.
www.uff.br/ecopesca/
3
Laboratório de Sensoriamento Remoto Aplicado a Pesca, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais. CEP 12227-010,
São José dos Campos, SP, Brazil.

Abstract. Species of the family Tremoctopodidae are widely distributed in tropical oceans, but rare in
coastal waters. In the present study, we record the occurrence of one adult individual of Tremoctopus
violaceus in coastal waters of Rio de Janeiro State, southeastern Brazil. This is the third record of T.
violaceus in that coast.

Key words: Octopoda, blanket octopus, geographical distribution

Resumo. Um novo registro de Tremoctopus violaceus Chiaie, 1830 (Mollusca, Tremoctopodidae) na

costa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, sudeste do Brasil. Espécies da Família Tremoctopodidae são
amplamente distribuídas nos oceanos tropicais, contudo raras em ambientes costeiros. No presente estudo
registramos a ocorrência de um indivíduo adulto de Tremoctopus violaceus na costa do estado do Rio de
Janeiro. Este é o terceiro registro de T. violaceus na costa do estado.

Palavras chave: Octopoda, polvo-com-véu, distribuição geográfica

The family Tremoctopodidae Tryon, 1879 is 1956, Thomas 1977), Caribbean (Salisbury 1953,
represented by one single genus Tremoctopus Arocha & Urosa 1983, Díaz et al. 2000) and
Chiaie, 1830, and three pelagic species commonly Mediterranean (Salman et al. 2002).
known as blanket octopuses: T. robsoni Kirk, 1884 – Among the Tremoctopodidae, T. v.
restricted to the Pacific Ocean (O'Shea 1999), T. violaceus is the only species recorded in the
gelatus Thomas, 1977 and T. violaceus Chiaie, 1830 Brazilian coast inhabiting epipelagic habitats
– both showing a circumtropical distribution (Palacio 1982, Haimovici 1985), and exhibiting
(Thomas 1977). Two recognized subspecies of T. strong sexual dimorphism, with females much larger
violaceus show distinct geographical distribution: T. than males (Norman et al. 2002). Records were
violaceus gracilis Eydoux & Souleyet, 1852, derived from sporadic catches of whole individuals
occurring in Pacific and Indian Ocean (Thomas or remains found in stomach contents of large
1977, Zeidler 1989, Vaga et al. 2001) and T. v. pelagic predators.
violaceus occurring in the Atlantic ocean between Adam (1937) provided the first record of the
the latitudes 43º N and 35º S (Thomas 1977, species in Brazil, in the coast of Ceará (northwestern
Haimovici & Perez 1991), Gulf of Mexico (Voss Brazil). Haimovici et al. (1989) reported an adult

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573 R. DE ALMEIDA TUBINO ET AL

female, collected in Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro, (Tetrapturus albidus), Longbill spearfish (T.
in December 1985 – FURG/0042. An adult female, pfluegeri), black marlin, (Makaira nigricans),
captured on the Palmas Island, Cagarras Archipelago Atlantic sailfish (Istiophorus albicans), Longnose
(23º01’ S, 43º12’ W) in March 2007, was deposited lancetfish (Alepisaurus ferox), blue shark (Prionace
in the Malacology Laboratory collection of the Rio glauca), Night shark (Carcharhinus signatus) and
de Janeiro National Museum (Museu Nacional do Scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini), catched in
Rio de Janeiro - MNRJ, voucher number: MNRJ Northeastern Brazil. Other records constitute larval
11.139). Vaske-Junior & Rincón-Filho (1998) stages found in zooplankton samples from the coast
reported the presence of T. violaceus in the stomach of Rio Grande do Sul state (Haimovici & Perez
contents of blue sharks (Prionace glauca) caught by 1991) and off Fernando de Noronha Archipelago
longline fishing off the coast of Rio Grande do Sul (Haimovici et al. 2002, Santos & Haimovici 2002).
and Santa Catarina states (southern Brazil). Vaske- The present specimen was collected in the
Junior (2005) recorded beaks and semi-digested morning of the 20th of may 2002, at the surf zone of
individuals of T. violaceus in stomach contents of Itaipu beach, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro state (22º58' S,
yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares), Atlantic 43º02' W - Figure 1) by artisanal fishermen during a
albacore (T. alalunga), Bigeye tuna (T. obesus), beach-seining operation. The specimen was
Wahoo (Acanthocybium solandri), common preserved on ice and sent for identification at the
dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus), swordfish Necton Biology and Fisheries Ecology Laboratory
(Xiphias gladius), Atlantic white marlin (ECOPESCA) of Fluminense Federal University.

Figure 1. Map showing the Itaipu beach where the specimen of Tremoctopus violaceus was collected. Inset
shows the relative location of the area in Guanabara Bay and Southeastern Brazil.

The identification followed Thomas (1977), formula was: II:IV:III. According to Thomas (1977)
Roper et al. (1984) and Haimovici et al. (1989), and and Norman et al. (2002), T. violaceus presents
the diagnostic characters were the visible size strong sexual dimorphism, with males reaching at
difference between the dorsal (pairs I and II) and most between 5 and 10 % of the female size.
ventral (pairs III and IV) tentacles, presence of a veil The voucher specimen was deposited in the
connecting pairs I and II and presence of water pores Malacology Laboratory collection of MNRJ
on the epidermis, near the base of the pairs I and IV (voucher number: MNRJ 12.724). The specimen
(Figure 2). The specimen collected consisted of an was found with tentacles, presenting just small
adult female of 75.0 cm total length, 16.0 cm mantle scratches over the mantle (Figure 2), probably
length (fixed) and 0.97 kg wet weight. The arms' caused by wave action and manipulation during the

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New record of Tremoctopus violaceus in Brazil 574

capture in the surf zone at Itaipu beach. Sea state disorientation. Local fishermen reported that this
was moderately roughwith small breakers, water was the first occurrence of such a specimen at the
temperature was about 23 oC and the sky partially beach and within their fishing grounds. Despite the
cloudy with light winds from the SW. fact that the area is daily subjected to moderate
The good state of preservation of the fishing activity with beach seining, gill netting and
specimen allowed detailed examination of both hand lining (Tubino et al. 2007, Monteiro-Neto et al.
morphological characters and color patterns. 2008), there is is no recent record of T. violaceus
According with the collectors' report, the animal was capture in the region with any of those gears.
alive when captured, showing signs of space

Figure 2. Ventral view of the specimen of Tremoctopus violaceus recorded at Itaipu Beach, Niterói, Rio
de Janeiro. Small inset shows the detail of the dorsal water pores.

The area of occurrence of the present specimen is by SW winds that follow the passage of atmospheric
located near the northern limit of the Southeast frontal systems, ceasing the upwelling effects of the
Brazilian Continental Bight (SEBCB), situated SACW over the inner Continental Shelf (Castro-
between Cabo Frio (23º00' S; 42º00' W) and Cabo Filho et al. 1987, Paes & Moraes 2007). This typical
de Santa Marta (28º36' S; 48º48' W). The SEBCB bad weather condition during winter-time, and the
sows a seasonal fluctuation in oceanographic inshore movement of the tropical waters, probably
features, associated to coastline morphology and favored the transport of this pelagic specimen of T.
topography. Cold water from the South Atlantic violaceus into coastal waters. In fact, the weather
Central Water (SACW) penetrates into the Bight in condition during the collection time follows the
the summer through a coastal upwelling powered by characteristics of a cold front passage in the area.
strong NE winds. In the winter, warm tropical Despite of its regular occurrence in Brazilian waters
waters of the Brazilian Current move inshore, forced (Haimovici et al. 1989), we suggest that the few

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575 R. DE ALMEIDA TUBINO ET AL

available records of whole specimens of T. violaceus eastern coast of Brazil. Bulletin of Marine
are linked to the fact that individuals only approach Science, 71(1): 313-330.
coastal waters during specific oceanographic Monteiro Neto, C., Tubino, R. A., Moraes, L. E. S.,
conditions. Neto, J. P. M., Esteves, G. V. & Fortes, W. S.
2008. Associações de peixes na região
Acknowledgements costeira de Itaipu, Niterói, RJ. Iheringia.
We would like to thank the fishermen of Série Zoologia, 98: 50-59.
Itaipu (Colônia Z-7) for collecting the specimen. Norman, M. D., Paul, D., Finn, J. & Tregenza, T.
Special thanks to Mr. Marcos Antônio Rosa de 2002. First encounter with a live male blanket
Abreu who shared the capture information. Dr. octopus: the world’s most sexually size-
Alexandre Dias Pimenta kindly received the dimorphic large animal. New Zealand
specimen at the Malacology Collection of Museu Journal of Marine and Freshwater
Nacional do Rio de Janeiro (MNRJ-UFRJ). CAPES, Research, 36: 733–736.
CNPq and FINEP-PADCT-FAPERJ provided the O’Shea, S. 1999. The marine fauna of New Zealand
financial support to the authors in various instances octopoda (Mollusca: Cephalopoda). NIWA
of the work that the Necton Biology and Fisheries Biodiversity Menoir, 112: 1-280.
Ecology Laboratory, Universidade Federal Paes, E. T. & Moraes, L. E. S. 2007. A new
Fluminense conducts within the coastal zone of hypothesis on the influence of the El Niño/La
Itaipu, RJ. Niña upon the biological productivity,
ecology and fisheries of the Southern
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Received July 2010

Accepted November 2010
Published online August 2011

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