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( "Seasonal closures of no-take zones to promote a sustainable fishery for Octopus cyanea (Gray) in south west Madagascar", 2006 Unsworth and Cullen-Unsworth, 2012 Van Heukelem, 1976) These dens aren't used for long term on average individuals spend up to 35 days in one den. They create lairs or dens in crevices or coral rubbles within coral reefs. Big blue octopuses are found living in muddy, sandy, or rocky bottoms, and in seagrass beds. ( "Hawaiian octopus, Octopus cyanea", 2004 Guard and Mgaya, 2002 Unsworth and Cullen-Unsworth, 2012 Yarnall, 1969)īig blue octopuses are commonly found in coral reefs at depths of 1 to 100 meters. There have also been reports of big blue octopuses in the Mediterranean sea and southeast of Africa such as along the coast of Madagascar, Tanzania, Somalia, and Seychelles. They are scattered throughout warm waters, from the Hawaiian Islands to the Red Sea (northeast Africa). In fact, octopus arms are so independent that for about an hour after one is severed from the main body it will continue to capture food and try to deliver it to a non-existent mouth.Big blue octopuses, Octopus cyanea, are commonly found in the region of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. So even though octopuses do have good vertebrate-like eyes, they still know what's going without using their sight.
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Nine brains make them smartĪn octopus has nine brains, which explains why it's regarded as the most intelligent invertebrate alive, sometimes likened to having the smarts of a dog.Īs well as a central doughnut-shaped brain, its nerve cells are spread throughout its eight arms covered in suckers that are capable of sensing the environment. The venom of the various species of blue-ringed octopus is the only one known to be deadly to humans, and evidence suggests it is produced by bacteria living in the animal's salivary glands.Īn octopus can also use its rasp-like tongue (radula) to drill a hole into their prey to deliver the venom more effectively - you can often find the evidence of this as oval-shaped holes in shells on the beach.Īnd it also injects digestive enzymes into its prey to break down food into a liquid that can be conveniently sucked up for dinner. On the underside of an octopus is a beak, used to crush prey and inject venom. ( Supplied: Julian Finn, Museum Victoria ) The venom of the southern blue-ringed octopus (Hapalochlaena maculosa) can be deadly to humans. "They have an extraordinary ability to disguise themselves," says octopus expert Jan Strugnell of James Cook University.
#HOW LONG DO OCTOPUS LIVE SKIN#
Octopuses can change the texture and colour of their skin to become essentially invisible by imitating rocks or algae. Its flexible body can squeeze through the tiniest of cracks to get away from predators.Īnd it uses camouflage to keep a low profile to avoid being eaten or when ambushing prey. An extraordinary talent for disguiseĪn octopus can disappear from sight in an instant if a shark or a ray comes nipping at their non-existent heels. Instead, they've evolved sophisticated strategies to survive and outwit their predators.Īnd while their alien-like body may seem the stuff of nightmares, their intelligence and beauty is nothing short of awesome. Like us humans, soft-bodied octopuses look relatively defenceless - they have no protective hard shells like their snail and clam cousins. You're in the ocean, with sharks and other predators wanting to make a tasty snack out of you.