User:Chxbu/Vulcanoctopus hydrothermalis

This paper explores the molecular phylogenetic relationships of Vulcanoctopus hydrothermalis and a newly discovered hydrothermal vent octopus species. It employs mitochondrial and nuclear gene sequences to analyze evolutionary relationships within the Octopodidae family.

Behavior
The ratio of recovered individuals is skewed towards males, indicating fewer females or spatial segregation by sex. V. hydrothermalis are were observed to congregate around vents, but isolated elsewhere. V. hydrothermalis' primary defense mechanism against a predator is to freeze in place. The secondary defense involves pushing away from the bottom of the seafloor and then drifting back down once the threat has dissipated. V. hydrothermalis uses its front arms (I dorsal and II dorsolateral) to detect and catch prey. The back arms (III ventrolateral and IV ventral) function to support the weight of the vent octopus and move it forward. This species has not been observed to use jet propulsion. One specimen exhibited “tactile feeding,” using its dorsal arms to sense prey while crawling on the seabed. It attempted to seize a crab with arms I and II but aborted the capture upon realizing the crab’s large size, subsequently altering its course.