Octopus januarii, Stecnstrup, MS.

Octopus januarii, Stecnstrup, MS.

The Body is rounded, widening a little posteriorly; the ventral groove is very faint. The mantle-opening terminates just below the eyes. The siphon is bluntly conical and ex ­ tensively attached to the umbrella; it extends less than halfway to the umbrella-margin.

The Head is small and the sides are entirely occupied by the enormous eyes, which are swollen and globular, but with very small palpebral openings. The skin covering them is so thin that the dark pigment within is distinctly visible.

The ylnns are unequal, the dorsal pair being the largest; on an average they are four times as long as the bod)’. The umbrella is about equally wide all round, except that it is a little shorter between the two ventral arms. The suckers arc comparatively small, prominent, and separate; more widely in one specimen than in the other, probably owing to its being less contracted by spirit. None of the suckers on the lateral arms are enlarged, notwithstan ling the sex. The hectocotylus is well developed; it is broad, and tapers rapidly to an acute point; in one specimen about seven transverse ridges can be counted in the proximal half of the median groove; in the distal half and in the other specimen they are indistinct.

The Surface is perfectly smooth all over.

The Colour is a pale purplish pink, deeper above than below.

Hab. Off Barra Grande (Station 122), one specimen, ♂; (Station 237), one specimen, ♂.