First confirmed record of Tremoctopus violaceus Delle Chiaje, 1830 (Cephalopoda : Tremoctopodidae) from Maltese waters (Central Mediterranean)

Abstract

The violet blanket octopus (Tremoctopus violaceus) is a rarely encountered argonautid cephalopod with few verified records from the Mediterranean. We report the first confirmed occurrence of T. violaceus in Maltese waters since an unverified mention in 1914. A female specimen was recovered from Mellieħa Bay (northern Malta) and identified on the basis of morphological features distinguishing it from the congeneric Tremoctopus gracilis. A second female Tremoctopus specimen was subsequently documented through photographs, although species-level identification was not possible as the specimen had been discarded. These findings expand knowledge of Tremoctopus distribution in the Central Mediterranean and underline the importance of collaboration with artisanal and recreational fishers in detecting rare taxa.