Amazing Octopus

Off the coast of Indonesia, a mimic octopus lurks in warm, shallow water. It’s hard to spot the brown creature as it haunts the murky and muddy seafloor, easily blending into the background to sneak up on its next meal.

But that’s far from the octopus’s only trick. It changes shape and color in a flash to scare off predators. It can morph into what appear to be the venomous spines of a lion fish, or turn black and white to resemble a dangerous sea snake. Predators like crabs scuttle away in fear. Scuba divers have reported sightings of mimic octopuses masquerading as jellyfish, shrimp, crabs, seahorses, and stingrays.

The mimic octopus is just one of 300 octopus species swimming in the world’s oceans. And it’s not the only species with clever ways to camouflage itself. Most octopuses can change color, while others find sneaky hideaways in the tiniest nooks—in a coral reef or even coconut shells. October 8 is World Octopus Day, in honor of these amazing animals. “People find connections with octopuses. They look into their big eyes and feel they have something in common,” says Christine Huffard, a biologist at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute in California.

Off the coast of Indonesia, a mimic octopus lurks in the water. It’s hard to spot the creature as it hunts on the seafloor. Its brown body blends into the murky background. That helps the octopus sneak up on its next meal.

But that’s not the animal’s only trick. To scare off predators like crabs, it changes shape and color instantly. It can make its long arms look like the venomous spines of a lionfish. Or it can turn black and white to look like a dangerous sea snake. Scuba divers have seen mimic octopuses imitating jellyfish, seahorses, and even stingrays.

There are 300 octopus species in oceans around the world. Like the mimic octopus, many have clever ways to camouflage themselves. Most octopuses can change color. Others hide in tiny crevices in coral reefs or coconut shells.

To honor these amazing animals, October 8 is World Octopus Day. “People find connections with octopuses,” says Christine Huffard. She’s a scientist at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute in California. “They look into their big eyes and feel they have something in common,” she adds.

Some octopuses also copy the movement of other organisms, making themselves almost impossible to detect. “When mimicking algae, an octopus species called Abdopus aculeatus moves its body to look like it’s drifting in a current, even if the water is completely still,” says Huffard. “The octopus can also make itself long and brown to look like a piece of dead sea grass.”

Octopuses are colorblind, making their talent for disguise even more astounding. They change color quickly because they do it without thinking. “It’s automatic,” says Huffard. “It’s not like the octopus needs to think, ‘Look like this rock!’”

Some octopuses also copy the movement of other organisms. That can make them almost impossible to detect. One tiny species, called the algae octopus, makes itself look like floating plants. “[It] moves its body to look like it’s drifting in a current, even if the water is completely still,” says Huffard. “The octopus can also make itself long and brown to look like a piece of dead sea grass.”

Even more surprising: Octopuses are colorblind! That means they don’t even perceive the colors they’re copying. They change color quickly because they do it without thinking. “It’s automatic,” says Huffard. “It’s not like the octopus needs to think, ‘Look like this rock!’”

Some octopuses are less than an inch long. Others are massive. The giant Pacific octopus can have an armspan of 30 feet and weigh a whopping 600 pounds. But no matter the size, all octopuses are very good at squeezing into tight spaces. That’s because they don’t have any bones. The only hard structure in their body is their beak, which they use to eat. Even large octopuses can fit through an opening the size of a quarter.

“In the wild, this allows them to get to food that other organisms can’t reach. It also allows them to hide from predators in super small spaces,” says Huffard. “In aquariums, it helps them make incredible escapes.”

One such escape took place at the National Aquarium of New Zealand in 2016. A soccer-ball-sized octopus named Inky busted out of his tank at night. His tracks suggest he crawled 8 feet across the floor and dropped down a 164-foot drain pipe, which released him into the ocean. He was never found.

Octopuses have been known to open jars and escape from tiny holes in boats, too. As for the octopuses that are still on view in the world’s aquariums, people are captivated by them. At the Seattle Aquarium in Washington State, biologist Joel Hollander gives octopuses enrichment toys, including a Mr. Potato Head toy stuffed with their favorite foods like crabs, clams, or fish. “Everyone watches while the octopus removes all of Mr. Potato Head’s limbs and devours the snack inside,” says Hollander. “That’s always a big hit.”

Some octopuses are less than an inch long. Others are huge. The giant Pacific octopus can reach 30 feet from the arm tip to arm tip. It can weigh a whopping 600 pounds! But no matter their size, octopuses are great at squeezing into tight spaces. That’s because they don’t

have any bones. The only hard structure in their body is their beak, which they use to eat. Even large octopuses can fit through a hole the size of a quarter.

“In the wild, this allows them to get to food that other organisms can’t reach,” says Huffard. “It also allows them to hide from predators in super small spaces.

When octopuses are in aquariums, they can use this ability another way. It helps them make incredible escapes! That’s what happened at the National Aquarium of New Zealand in 2016. A soccer-ball-sized octopus named Inky squeezed out of his tank at night. Staff found his wet tracks the next morning. He had crawled 8 feet across the floor and dropped down a drain pipe, which released him into the ocean. He was never found.

Octopuses can also open jars and escape from tiny holes in boats. And when they stay in their aquarium tanks, people are fascinated by them. Biologist Joel Hollander cares for octopuses at the Seattle Aquarium in Washington State. He gives them toys to keep them occupied, including a Mr. Potato Head doll. He stuffs it with their favorite foods, such as crabs, clams, or fish. “Everyone watches while the octopus removes all of Mr. Potato Head’s limbs and devours the snack inside,” says Hollander. “That’s always a big hit.”