Speculative Evolution: Inventing a New Species of Cephalopod

My assignment was to invent a new species of cephalopod, incorporating characteristic features and adding a new adaptation.

Phylogeny:

Kingdom Animalia, Phylum Mollusca, Class Cephalopoda, Order Octopoda, Family Octopodidae, Genus Sauroctopus, Species autotomata. Its name means "Lizard Octopus that can sever a part of itself."

Description:

Characteristic Octopus Featrures:

Like all members of the octopoda, Sauroctopus autotomata has eight arms, which are covered with smooth suckers along the entire length of the arm. It has two vestigial peices of its former shell, called stylets. An octopus has one central brain, with the esophagus running through its center, and eight smaller brains that govern the arms. They are the only invertebrate group that uses tools, e.g coconuts for shelters. All octopuses are venomous.

New Adaptations:

S. autotomata was discovered off the eastern coast of Australia. It was named for its "scale like" chromatophores, and its capability of autotomy, which was discovered by researchers while trying to capture a specimen. When one of the researchers managed to corner it, it spontaneously amputated several of its own arms near the tips, and sprayed a cloud of ink to get away.

Later, a different individual was captured, and it also amputated one of its arms. The arm was observed to continue flailing and writhing for an hour after amputation.

It appears this trait evolved as a predator evasion tactic, but could be used as an offensive strategy as well.

S. autotomata also uses photophores in the arm tips, probably to lure the predator away from the rest of the animal. Laboratory specimens have been shown to use the glowing tips to lure prey as well. Another unique adaptation is that, instead of cutting off at the base, it can amputate at almost any point on the arm. It was capable of regrowing the arm, like other octopus species can. It appears that, upon amputation, a bundle of stem cells form at the site, and then develop into the cells needed to make an octopus arm. Studies are currently underway to see if a similar technique could be applied to human stem cell research.

Note: After I created the above concept, I discovered that Wunderpus photogenicus is capable of autotomy, however I modified the idea to include adaptations from Octopoteuthis deletron, a type of squid. I guess this shows how impressive the cephalopods are. Even the strangest ideas I could come up with have already evolved!