Ethogram of Abdopus aculeatus (d'Orbigny, 1834) (Cephalopoda: Octopodidae): Can behavioural characters inform octopodid taxomony and systematics?

An ethogram is provided for the small, intertidal, diurnal octopusAbdopus aculeatus (d'Orbigny, 1834). Information is based primarilyon in situ observations of adults, and supplemented with photographsof animals in aquaria. Aspects of the dymantic display, matingsystem, activity patterns, and habitat use appear similar tothose expressed by other members of Abdopus, as well as thelarge sister taxon Octopus cyanea, suggesting that these behavioursmay be conserved throughout the evolution of these octopuses.Many skin components are also shared with Octopus bimaculoides,which may reflect either an evolutionary affinity with thisoctopus, or convergence in these characters. If behaviouralunits such as those documented here are compiled in a consistentmanner for other species, then they may facilitate taxonomicidentification, as well as future evolutionary studies of octopodids.