Robsonella huttoni

Robsonella huttoni, also known as the club pygmy octopus, is a species of octopus native to New Zealand and Australia. It was first described in 1943 by the zoologist William Benham, who named it after Frederick Hutton, one of New Zealand's most prolific naturalists. As adults they are coloured reddish, orangish and greenish. They reach up to 240mm in length. They are widespread in New Zealand, but in Australia are only found in the southern regions. They live in tidal and subtidal reefs to depths of 386 metres. However, their distribution along the shore appears to depend on their age, which may be an example of an ontogenetic niche shift. Unlike many octopus, this species has a paralarvae stage, which can last 40 to 70 days. There are records of them living for up to 250 days, but likely live longer. There is little data on the conservation needs of this species, but it is possible that their distribution will be impacted by climate change.