A REVISION OF THE DEEP-WATER OCTOPUS GENUS SCAEURGUS (CEPHALOPODA: OCTOPODIDAE) WITH DESCRIPTION OF THREE NEW SPECIES FROM THE SOUTHWEST PACIFIC OCEAN

Deep-water trawl surveys on seamounts around New Caledonia yielded 62 specimens of the little-known genus, Scaeurgus. Members of this genus of octopuses typically occur at depths of 200–500 m in temperate and tropical latitudes worldwide. Prior to this study, Scaeurgus was considered to contain one to two species. The new material from New Caledonia contained a surprising diversity of Scaeurgus species from a small area: three distinct new species are described and limited material of a further two taxa is reported. A pygmy member of this genus is reported for the first time. Distributions of these new taxa are consistent with reports of high endemism on the seamount systems in this region. Fifty-eight of the 62 specimens were collected from seamounts, with four of the five taxa unique to a single seamount.