Tag Archive: OCTOPUS


6-11-17 Day Octopus Day (aka Big Blue Octopus) from Ron’s Color of life series

Filed under: CORAL REEF, INVERTEBRATES — Leave a comment
June 11, 2017

TAXONOMY
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Cephalopoda (octopuses, squid, cuttlefish; and Nautiloidea)
Order: Octopoda
Family: Octopodidae (octopus species)

Genus/species: Octopus cyanea

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS:  Dark eye-spots are only sometimes visible and depends upon the patterns being displayed by individual octopuses. Cryptic Coloration: they are able to change coloration, and texture of their skin, to resemble their environment (adaptive or active
camouflage).


Bodies up to at least 16 cm (6 inches) and arms to at least 80 cm (30 inches).

DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: Tropical reefs from Hawaii to East Africa. O. cyanea is found in excavated lairs in coral reefs and rubble which can be located by identifying remains of clams, crabs at the entrance.

 

DIET IN THE WILD: Feeds during daylight hours requiring exceptional camouflage. Consumes crabs, clams and fishes.

REPRODUCTION: Males have a long modified third right arm that they hold in an upright coiled position and wave toward the female. When the female is receptive to the signaling male, he inserts his arm into the female’s oviducts to pass her spermatophores keeping his distance to avoid being eaten by the female.

Day Octopus (aka Big Blue Octopus)
Day Octopus19111242362_db83003f76_k

 

PREDATORS: Seals and large fish.

CONSERVATION: IUCN Red List; not assessed 2015

References

California Academy of Sciences Color of Life Exhibit 2015

Ron’s flickr  https://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/19111242362/in/album-72157652559028013/

Encyclopedia of Life  www.eol.org/pages/593207/details

Marinebio  marinebio.org/species.asp?id=553

Ron’s WordPress shortlink  http://wp.me/p1DZ4b-1xs

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4-4-16 Two-spot Octopus from Ron’s California Coast Series

Filed under: INVERTEBRATES, MOLLUSKS, TEMPERATE MARINE — Leave a comment
April 3, 2016

TAXONOMY
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Cephalopoda
Order: Octopoda
Family: Octopodidae

Genus/species: Octopus bimaculoides

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: Usually a mottled-brown color with a dark deep-blue ovoid spot under each eye. It can use the chromatophores in its skin to change its color and texture when hunting for prey or hiding from predators (including its eye spots).

Size to 3 feet (including its body and outstretched arms)

2spot Octopus25853155380_e17555cef7_k

DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: Found from central California to northern Baja California among reefs and pilings on the sea floor.

DIET IN THE WILD: Limpets, black abalone, snails, clams, hermit crabs and small fishes. Prey are subdued with a parrotlike beak and toxic secretions through a salivary gland. Their food is then scraped out with a radula.

REPRODUCTION: Females lay up to 150,000 eggs under rocks from late winter to early summer, then brood on them continuously for 2-4 months. During brooding, the female doesn’t feed and usually dies when eggs hatch.

Two-spot Octopus26033508582_96a0c27793_k

Life Span: One-and-a-half to two years.

PREDATORS: Moray eels, scorpionfish and humans. Arms are often lost during a fight with a moray eel and can regenerate.

CONSERVATION: O bimaculoides is very sensitive to impaired water quality, thus water pollution is an issue for its survival.

References

California Academy of Sciences Steinhart aquarium Animal Attractions 2016

Ron’s flickr  https://www.flickr.com/photos/cas_docents/26033508582/in/album-72157629304397467/

Animal Diversity Web animaldiversity.org/accounts/Octopus_bimaculatus/

Jaffe Laboratory jaffeweb.ucsd.edu/node/twospottedoctopus

Monterey bay Aquarium  www.montereybayaquarium.org/animal-guide/octopuses-and-ki…

Cabrillo Marine Aquarium www.cabrillomarineaquarium.org/exhibits/socal-species-det…

Ron’s WordPress Shortlink  http://wp.me/p1DZ4b-1G9

 

 

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10-5-11 Coconut Octopus from Ron’s Mollusk Series

Filed under: INVERTEBRATES, TROPICAL MARINE — Leave a comment
October 5, 2011

Amphioctopus marginatus

Kingdom: Animalia, Phylum: Mollusca. Class: Cephalopoda, Order: Octopoda, Family: Octopodidae                                        

DISTRIBUTION: Tropical waters of the western of the western Pacific Ocean.

HABITAT: Sandy bottoms in bays or lagoons.

APPEARANCE: The main body of the octopus is typically around 8 centimeters (3 in) in size, and, with arms, approximately 15 centimeters (6 in) long. The octopus displays a typical color pattern with dark divergent lines similar to veins, usually with a yellow siphon The arms are usually dark in color, with contrasting white suckers. In many color displays, a lighter trapezoidal area can be seen immediately below the eye.

DIET: Shrimp, clams and crabs.

REMARKS: A. marginatus  is one of only two octopus species known to display such behavior, the other being Abdopus aculeatus.   A. marginatus  has been observed using discarded coconut shells as a shelter.

LINK  to National Geographic video  http://www.indiesquidkid.com/tag/amphioctopus/

 LOCATION: STAFF PICK  SP04

 WORDPRESS SHORTLINK  http://wp.me/p1DZ4b-aU

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