Southern white-spot octopus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Southern white-spotted octopus |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | |
| Family: |
Octopodidae
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| Genus: |
Callistoctopus
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| Species: |
C. bunurong
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| Binomial name | |
| Callistoctopus bunurong (Stranks, 1990)
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| Synonyms | |
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Octopus bunurong Stranks, 1990 |
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The southern white-spot octopus is a cool type of octopus. Its scientific name is Callistoctopus bunurong. You can find this octopus in the waters around Australia. It usually lives in sandy areas, from 1 to 130 meters deep. This octopus used to be called Octopus bunurong, but now it's in a different group called Callistoctopus.
What Does It Look Like?
This octopus has an oval-shaped body. It has long arms that get thinner at the ends. Its body is often red, orange, and white. It has many white spots all over its body. You can also see smaller white spots in lines along its arms. A white area of skin runs along each side of its mantle. The mantle is like its main body part. It can grow up to 48 cm long. The skin between its arms, called webs, is short and almost clear.
Where It Lives
This octopus lives in the waters around Australia. You can find it off the coasts of Western Australia, Southern Australia, and Victoria. It lives in water depths from 1 to 130 meters. It likes to bury itself in sand and seagrass areas. It usually comes out at night to find food.
How It Behaves
The southern white-spot octopus is very good at digging. It can quickly dig into the sand if it feels unsafe. Female octopuses lay eggs that grow into young octopuses. After hatching, the young octopuses settle down on the seafloor. At night, this octopus leaves its sandy hiding spot. It searches for small crustaceans to eat.
Protecting This Octopus
Scientists do not think this octopus is in danger right now. It is listed as a least concern species. This is because it lives in a wide area. However, more research is needed to learn about its population size. Scientists also want to know more about its life cycle and how it lives in its environment.
