California Two-Spot
Body: Mantle is about 7 inches. The arms can reach all the way out to about 25 inches. From arm tip to arm tip it is 57 inches.
Coloring: The coloring varies for each octopi. They can change colors and they will depending on their environment. The most common is a grayish color with some yellow spots. However all of these octopi have two large blue spots underneath their eyes. So that's two spots one on each side of the head and that's where they get their name. Habitat: These octopi live mostly in California but some have been found in Japan, Mexico, and areas of Japan. They prefer warm waters that are between 65 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit. They will often stay in more shallow water so that they can hide in the rocks and crevices of the ocean floor. Behavior: These octopi are friendly. They tolerate other octopi as long as there is no competition for food. They don't hide as much as other species instead they spend their time out in the open blending in. Diet: These guys mostly eat mollusks and crustaceans. The shells are easy for them to remove. If they can't remove the shells with their arms, then toxins from their saliva do the job for them. Mating: The males will not contact females until ready for mating. When they are ready they actively pursue females and will often mate with more than one. After mating is over their body functions start shutting down and they die within a few weeks. The females tuck the fertilized eggs under her arms and carries them until they are ready to hatch. She does not eat while protecting her eggs so she starts to die when they start hatching. |