Morphological and molecular description of a new record of Graneledone (Cephalopoda, Octopodidae) in the southeastern Pacific Ocean

Octopuses of the genus Graneledone inhabit in the deep-sea and are composed of 8 recognized species. Here we conduct phylogenetics analyses of 4 species of Graneledone using 2 molecular markers (16S and COI), and report a new record of Graneledone for the Pacific Ocean off south-central Chile. Four specimens of Graneledone sp. were collected from 436 to 1482 m depth. These octopuses are medium sized, have no ink sac and bear only one row of suckers in their arms, which are of similar length. They are characterized by having 43 to 45 suckers in the hectocotylized arm (third right); 6 to 7 lamellae per demibranch; VV-shaped funnel organ and 5 to 7 transverse creases in the ligulae. Some morphological traits show great variation compared with species from Pacific, Atlantic and Antarctic oceans. Molecular phylogenetic analysis supports the hypothesis of monophyly of Graneledone.