Meeting Abstract
The Antarctic is home to a vast number of species adapted to survive the harsh environment and potentially travel over great distances. Octopods are a facet of this ecosystem in need of further study. Moreover, the Antarctic is undergoing rapid climate change, and thus understanding organismal ranges is important to assess future changes. We are also interested in Antarctic octopod biogeography from an evolutionary perspective. During the 2013 cruises on the R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer and R/V Laurence M. Gould, octopod samples were collected along the western portion of Antarctica from the Ross Sea to the Peninsula. Distinguishing octopod species morphologically can be difficult because of limited external characteristics, and thus we are augmenting morphological assessments with data from the COI mitochondrial gene for barcoding. Most of individuals sampled were Adelieledone polymorpha, Pareledone aequipapillae, or P. turqueti. Results showed P. turqueti was present throughout sampled regions, while both A. polymorpha and P. aequipapillae were found predominantly in the Wrights Gulf and the Ross Sea regions. Presumably, all three species have similar reproductive habits as octopods brood their young, suggesting other factors account for differences in distributions. This study expands knowledge of regional biogeographic patterns, and will contribute to a preliminary understanding of octopus species diversity in Antarctic waters.
