Velodona

Lore & Background

Velodona togata was first described by Carl Chun in 1915 from a male specimen caught off the east coast of Africa at 749 meters depth. Chun noted its sac-shaped body, very large eyes, and extensive membranes that enclose the whole animal, comparing it to the genus Eledone but with a differently shaped hectocotylus and funnel organ. In 1924, Guy Coburn Robson described a second subspecies, Velodona togata capensis, from specimens caught off the Natal coast (modern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa) at depths between 402 and 460 meters. Robson distinguished it from the nominate subspecies by a less elongated mantle, shorter arm membranes, and additional warts with papillates, though he noted the hectocotylus differences might be age-related.

The species has a single line of suckers on each arm, and its head, mantle, and dorsal arms are covered in warts. It possesses a tiny ink sac that contains no ink, a common trait in deep-water cephalopods. The 2009 study off Mozambique found V. togata across the entire study area, with highest concentrations near Maputo, and noted that males were more common in shallower depths (400–500 m) while females were more common deeper (500–700 m).

Reader's Guide

Velodona togata holds significance as the sole member of its genus, first described over a century ago and still poorly understood. Its most striking feature is the extensive dorsal and ventral membranes that link its arms, described by Chun as extending to the tips of all arms and also to the dorsal margin of neighboring ventral arms. The species is one of the most fecund among deep-sea octopuses in the Southern Ocean, despite having large eggs and extremely large spermatophores—the largest reported of any deep-sea incirrate octopus. A 2009 study suggested an extended reproduction period, based on a high proportion of immature females (76%) and the presence of very small individuals. The species' conservation status has not been formally assessed, though the IUCN listed it as data deficient in 2018. Its distribution is limited to the western Indian Ocean off southeastern Africa, from Tanzania to South Africa, at depths between 400 and 750 meters. The taxonomic placement has been compared to genera Pareledone, Eledone, and Enteroctopus, with Robson finding it closest to southern species of Moschites (now Pareledone and Eledone) due to similar funnel organs and suckers.

Did You Know?

• Velodona togata has a tiny ink sac that contains no ink, typical of deep-water cephalopods.
• The species produces the largest spermatophores reported of any deep-sea member of the suborder Incirrina.
• A 2009 study found males were more common at depths of 400–500 meters, while females were more common at 500–700 meters.
• The genus name Velodona is Latin for 'veil' and the species name togata means 'gown' or 'mantle'.