FN Archimer Export Format PT J TI Behavioural observations of the cephalopod Vulcanoctopus hydrothermalis BT AF ROCHA, Francisco GONZALEZ, Angel SEGONZAC, Michel GUERRA, Angel AS 1:;2:;3:;4:; FF 1:;2:;3:PDG-DRO-EP;4:; C1 CSIC, ECOBIOMAR, Inst Invest Marinas, Vigo 36208, Spain. IFREMER, EP CENTOB, F-29280 Plouzane, France. C2 CSIC, SPAIN IFREMER, FRANCE SI BREST SE PDG-DRO-EP IN WOS Ifremer jusqu'en 2018 copubli-europe IF 0.726 TC 14 UR https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/2002/publication-897.pdf LA English DT Article DE ;Vulcanoctopus hydrothermalis;Behaviour;Cephalopod;Hydrothermal vent AB Introduction : The hydrothermal vent ecosystem is inhabited by poorly known species of deep-sea octopuses (Lutz & Voight, 1994). Vulcanoctopus hydrothermalis Gonzalez & Guerra, 1998, is the only described cephalopod from a hydrothermal vent (Gonzalez et al., 1998). Little is known about this small benthic octopus, up to 35 mm mantle length, with a muscular and semi-translucent body, lack of any type of chromatic elements in the skin and eye with no trace of an iris (Gonzalez et al., 1998). Its morphology was studied by Gonzalez et al. (in press) but there have been no behavioural studies of this species to date. Most observations of octopus behaviour in abyssal environments, mainly Cirroctopoda, have been described from videotape records (Boletzky et al., 1992; Villanueva et al., 1997; Vecchione & Young, 1997, among others). Live observations of animal behaviour at deep-sea hydrothermal vents are extremely difficult to carry out, mainly due to hostile environmental conditions such as pressure and darkness. The use of remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) or manned submersibles can impact the behaviour of the species being filmed (Spanier et al, 1994). In the abyssal zone, local conditions may change as a result of the spotlights, sounds, and turbulence of the submersible as well as the physical presence of a large object. However, video recordings, photographs, and direct observations using manned submersibles are the best means available to date for in situ studies of deep-sea animals behaviour (Hanlon & Messenger, 1996; Villanueva et al., 1997). The present paper reports the first observations on the behaviour of V. hydrothermalis based on video recordings. PY 2002 SO CBM - Cahiers de Biologie Marine SN 0007-9723 PU Station Biologique de Roscoff VL 43 IS 3-4 UT 000179938200018 BP 299 EP 302 ID 897 ER EF