Octopus

Hi Everyone

This video is our 10 interesting facts about Octopus. Please also see the transcript below from our marine expert Jo.

The next video is our personal experience with an Octopus

Arabella and Alex
Hello friends, family and followers, today we’ll be doing our first blog project here at Hidden Bay, Teos. This project is about octopus. Joe is our marine expert. She is calling us all the way from Indonesia. I am Arabella and this is my sister Alex. Alex and I came up with the following questions. So let’s begin. First question, what are predators of octopuses?

Jo
Actually there are quite a few, like white tip reef sharks, dogfish sharks and nurse sharks. Also there are dolphins, eels, otters, moray eels, diving birds and bigger fish like barracudas and rays.

Arabella and Alex
Why and how does an octopus camouflage?

Jo
This is a very interesting question. Octopus can actually change the colour and texture to blend in with their natural surroundings to escape from predators and to trick preys. Unlike other species, octopuses don’t have a hard shell or sharp spines, so camouflage is their best way for protection. There are special cells under the octopus which contains color pigments called chromatophores. By expanding and contracting this pigment sack, the octopus is able to change the colour and texture, and can seamlessly blend into rocks, corals and sponges. They can basically change its appearance into something completely different.   Octopus can change its color and shape to fool prey into thinking the octopus is a different animal, like a flatfish or sea snake

Arabella and Alex
Why do they hide from people?

Jo
The biggest reason is that they are cautious and scared, so they hide from people to protect themselves. Octopuses are highly intelligent animals. If you get too close, they will try to get away quickly until they become familiar with you and then will become more friendly towards you. But basically they are just trying to protect themselves.

Arabella and Alex
What do Octopuses eat?

Jo
Octopus are carnivores, which means that they like to eat meat. They like clams, snails and smaller fishes. However crabs and shrimps are their favourite food. Octopus prefers to eat at night time because it gives them an element of surprise.

Arabella and Alex
How does octopus eat? Where exactly is the octopus’s mouth?

Jo
The mouth is in between the eight tentacles. Typically it will drop down onto their prey and envelop it with their arms and pull the animal into their mouth. They have a very strong and powerful mouth and a beak that they use to rip the prey apart. On some of the types of octopus they use toxins to poison their prey. And then some types will make one or two holes inside the prey and inject toxin inside.

Arabella and Alex
What’s the habitat of an octopus?

Jo
They live all over the world but are only found in salt waters. They are very adaptable, meaning they can live from shallow pools to 2000 meters below sea level on the ocean floor. But the majority live close to the water level.

Arabella and Alex
Why do octopuses die after they give birth?

Jo
Interesting question. Octopuses can only reproduce once before they die. After mating the male will swim away and die. The female survives until her babies are born and then she dies as well. Females can lay 200,000 to 400,000 eggs. After a female octopus lays eggs, she would quit eating and wastes away. By the time the eggs hatch, she dies.

Arabella and Alex
Why do octopuses squirt ink?

Jo
They use the ink as a defense mechanism to escape from predators. So when they feel threatened, they can release large amounts of ink into the water to confuse the predator. This creates a dark cloud so the predator can’t see the octopus and they can swim away and escape quickly.

Arabella and Alex
Are octopuses friendly?

Jo
Some octopuses are friendly and can be very playful and curious. Some species will even cuddle with one another. Octopuses can bond with human and are amongst the most highly evolved vertebrae. They are capable of learning and demonstrating memory. Furthermore, some octopuses in the laboratories where you can see that they like playing and they’re like engaging with humans they recognise.

Arabella and Alex
How long does an octopus live?

Jo
The average lifespan is one to three years.

Arabella and Alex
Thank you so much for taking the time to share with us.