Description:-

Fresh specimens brownish green dorsally and pale white ventrally. Dorsal surface of the mantle, head and arms sculptured with regular round patches with distinct grooves. A pale longitudinal stripe along dorsal midline (Fig. 32c). Cream, narrow transverse head bar present between the eyes. Transverse pair of white spots present on the dorsal mantle, just anterior to the mid-point of the mantle. Skin with regular round patches and grooves; patches typically pentagonal or hexagonal, largest on the ventral arm crown. Mantle elongate, ovoid, covered with small tubercles or fine papillae. Head small, head width narrower than mantle width, wider in females than in males. Eyes prominent, moderate in size. Single large cirrus present at the base of each eye. Funnel broad, muscular free portion slightly greater than half of the funnel length. Funnel organ W-shaped, limbs approximately equal in length. Arms short to moderate, 2–3 times of mantle length. Arm formula 4>3>2>1. Right third arm of males hectocotylized. Suckers biserial, normal arms with 90–180 suckers. Enlarged suckers present in males 2 to 3 on arm II and III starting around the 6th proximal sucker. Dark chromatophores present at the base of each sucker. Hectocotylized arm with 58–79 suckers. Ligula small, thin with shallow groove. Calamus small, distinct.

Threats:-

Remark:-

Amphioctopus aegina can be distinguished from other non ocellate members of this genus by its distinctive colour pattern and presence of a cream longitudinal stripe along dorsal midline. Recently recorded from Kerala coast by Sreeja (2013).

Habitat:-

Demersal, known from muddy coastal waters and typically found subtidally on soft substrates.

Synonyms:-

Octopus hardwickei Gray, 1849; Octopus dollfusi Robson, 1928; Octopus aegina Gray, 1849; Octopus smedleyi Robson, 1932

References:-

Silas, E. G. (Ed.) (1985). Cephalopod bionomics, fisheries and resources of the exclusive economic zone of India. Bull. Cent. Mar. Fish. Res. Inst., 37: 195pp.
Sreeja, V. (2013). Taxonomy and diversity of cephalopods (Mollusa: Cephalopoda) of Kerala coast. PhD Thesis submitted to University of Kerala, India.