Common Octopus
Body: The common octopus sizes very incredibly. Some octopi are measured at 12 inches while others are 36 inches. Their vastly different sizes often leads to them being confused with other octopi species. They have a very large mantle and eyes. Their eyes are often described as being to big for their head. They are able however to use special muscles and pigment cells to literally become their surroundings. They are able to match colors but also textures and shapes of their surroundings so they can hide in plain sight.
Coloring: Their specific coloring depends on where they live. Like many other octopi species they usually change their coloring to blend in with their environment. Habitat: They live all over the world. They are called the common octopus because you can find them almost anywhere. They live in tropical areas as well as temperate areas. Behavior: Because these octopi are the most common their have been lots of studies about them. They are able to tell how bright something is, they can tell sizes, they can distinguish shapes, and they have a memory for patterns. They are also very intelligent and can take lids off jars and bait out of lobster traps that commercial fishermen use. Diet: They mostly eat mollusks, crustaceans, crayfish, and crabs. They will use their venom that is found in their saliva to paralyze their prey. Then they will either bite through the shell with their beaks or use more saliva to dissolve the shell exposing the meat inside. Mating: A female can lay up to 200,000 eggs after mating. She will do all she can to protect them, however only about 1% survive to maturity. The males and the females die shortly after mating takes place. |