To celebrate World Octopus Day, we are going to award the biggest and best species of octopus some epic titles. One of our marine educators, Martha has collated five of their favourite cephalopods and will tell you below why they should become yours!
Best Disguise – Mimic Octopus
Found in the Indo-pacific the mimic octopus is a master of camouflage, with the ability to impersonate a plethora of other animals. This non-venomous, soft bodied cephalopod avoids predators by mimicking some less appetising species. The most well documented creatures that they mimic are the toxic Sole Fish, the venomous lionfish, and sea snakes but there are reports from divers of many more subjects.
Most Deadly – Blue-ringed Octopus
Do not be fooled by these small octopuses! Whilst they fit in the palm of your hand, they are the most venomous species around. The genus is comprised of four confirmed species and six possible (undescribed) species. Residing on coral reefs and rocky areas in the Pacific and Indian oceans, these little cephalopods could kill a human with just 1 milligram of toxin. Interestingly, the toxin isn’t produced by the blue-ringed itself, but by bacteria that live within their saliva. Despite this scary statistic, the species have only caused three confirmed deaths globally.
Deepest Ocean Zone Dweller – Dumbo Octopus
Named due to their likeness with the much-loved Disney elephant, the dumbo octopus is the deepest living group of octopuses. Again, the name refers to the genus of deep-sea octopus comprising of at least 15 species . Recorded at depths of 4000m (and possibly deeper!) dumbo octopuses are adapted to life in the dark high-pressure environment. With a gelatinous body and large eyes, this species has evolved to not have an ink sac like other species, due to the lower number of predators down in the deep. The females also increase the likelihood of reproducing, as mates are few and far between, by carrying eggs at different development stages and storing male sperm for extended periods of time.
Most Enormous – Giant Pacific Octopus
The world’s largest octopus, the Giant Pacific Octopus, can grow up to 9m wide and lives in the waters of California, up the coast to Alaska, and over to Russia, Japan, and Korea. One of the most widely recognised species due to its reddish-brown colour, this ocean giant can change the colour and texture of their skin, making them camouflage experts. This species also has 280 suckers per arm, which gives them an extremely strong grip, with the suckers by their mouths being able to hold 16kg!
The Cutest – Flapjack Octopus
Belonging to the same group as the dumbo octopus, umbrella octopuses, the flapjack octopus is officially awarded the title of cutest of them all! With 24 recorded species, this genus spends it’s time near the sea floor in deep, cold-water environments worldwide. Named due to their pancake look as they sit on the sea floor, they can be orange, yellow, red, or pink which helps them camouflage in the deep sea where red light doesn’t travel far.
We hope you enjoyed reading about our favourite species for World Octopus Day. Do you have a mini marine biologist ready to start their ocean exploring journey?
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