Marine Life

Octopus
(Octopus bimaculoides)
Courtesy of Tom Haight

Normally nocturnal, this highly developed mollusk can occasionally be seen during daylight hours. Growing up to 3 feet, it has an uncanny ability to change color and even texture at a moments notice. The octopus feeds on small fish and invertebrates such as crabs, shrimp, limpets, mussels, cowries and blennies. The octopus will bite its prey with its "beak", injecting a saliva that is laced with a toxin, anesthetizing the prey. This mollusk seems highly intelligent and has been able to open a twist top jar to get at food in laboratory experiments. There is an almost identical species, Octopus bimaculatus, that lives in shallower water. The two species' ranges overlap and only an expert can tell them apart. The major predator of the octopus is the California Moray.

Following is a short video clip of octopus in its native habitat, courtesy of Tom Haight Marine Wildlife Photography. If the video clip does not automatically display, you may be prompted to download a plug-in that will enable you to view the video file.

    (3.6MB .avi file)