Image: Giant Pacific Octopus (Octopus dofleini) (7007259144)

Description: Enteroctopus dofleini (Wülker, 1910) - When threatened, Giant Pacific Octopus shoot out an inky substance that creates an instant smokescreen. Sometimes the ink cloud takes the actual shape of an octopus, providing a diversion that allows the real octopus to escape from predators. With no skeleton to get in its way, Giant Pacific Octopuses can also squeeze their bodies into incredibly small spaces – any space larger than its powerful beak is fair game. Giant Pacific Octopuses are terminal spawners, meaning females only have one opportunity to reproduce. They typically mate closer to the end of their fairly short lifespan, which on average is only five years. Luckily, octopuses lay anywhere from 18,000 – 74,000 eggs, helping to strengthen the vitality of the species. While waiting for her eggs to hatch, the mother remains with the eggs and does not eat, staying to protect her babies at all times. Octopuses typically die shortly after her babies hatch. The animal dines on a wide range of seafood including clams and other mussels, but have a particular hankering for crabs. With their love for crabs, coupled with a sweet spot for den-like enclosures, octopuses often mistake crabber’s nets as hunting and hiding ground, where they can be accidentally caught. If the octopus kills and eats the crabber’s catch, many fishermen respond by killing the octopus.
Title: Giant Pacific Octopus (Octopus dofleini) (7007259144)
Credit: Giant Pacific Octopus (Octopus dofleini) Uploaded by Magnus Manske
Author: Cliff from Arlington, Virginia, USA
Usage Terms: Creative Commons Attribution 2.0
License: CC BY 2.0
License Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0
Attribution Required?: Yes