(ORDO NEWS) — A group of scientists from the Ocean University of China found out that in Zhangzhou, an octopus was sold at the seafood market, which turned out to be a previously unknown species.
Local fishermen have long been familiar with this species, but because of its small weight (no more than 40 grams), they constantly mistook it for a young specimen of an ordinary long-armed octopus (Octopus minor), which is caught in the coastal regions of all China.
Zoologists learned this by collecting a batch of nine specimens from several points of sale. They immediately realized that in front of them was a new species.
It was given the name Callistoctopus xiaohongxu. The Chinese specific name xiaohongxu refers to the octopus’s smooth, reddish-brown skin. This species was the first member of the Callistoctopus genus found in the China Seas.
Scientists have deciphered the genome sequence of a new species, the data of which can be used by other biologists.
In total, more than 130 different species of cephalopods have been recorded in the coastal waters of China. Strong warm currents create ideal conditions for a variety of marine life.
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