Common Octopus

The common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) is -well- common, and widespread. It is not considered a threatened species. There are quite a lot of them, but most of the time they are difficult to spot because they prefer to hide and are able to camouflage themselves so very well. It is a very impressive sight when you do see them.

The common octopus is an impressive sight. This one was spotted near Aqaba, Jordan. In water only about two meters deep. In the Red Sea.

The octopus has a huge head and eight thick arms that are lined with two rows of powerful suckers. It is a soft-bodied invertebrate. That means that it has no skeleton or external shell. it does have a sharp beak, though.

The common octopus can change colour in an instant.

The common octopus is found in tropical and temperate waters all over the world. Its habitat ranges from the Mediterranean to Southern coast England in the north and all the way in South Africa in the South. The common octopus also lives in the Western parts of the Atlantic. It is a solitary and territorial creature, and lives in relatively shallow waters, normally about 200 meters or less.

The common octopus prefers to hide if threatened.

The common octopus grows to about 25 centimeters in mantle length, with arms that can grow up to 1 meter long. It has a relatively short life span. Normally the common octoopus only lives about 12 to 24 months, one or two years.

The common octopus is an active predator. It hunts and eats crabs,crayfish and molluscs. It has an amazing ability to change its appearance to blend in to its surroundings. It can change colour and even skin texture instantly. It does this by using pigment cells and tiny muscles in its skin. Coloration of the octopus also reflects its mood.

 Usually the common octopus moves around by quietly walking along the bottom of the sea. It is a good swimmer, though. If it has to swim through open water, for example if it has to escape quickly from a predator, it can jet water through a funnel out of its mantle cavity to propel it forward fast as a rocket. It can also squirt a cloud of black ink into the water to blind any predator it is escaping from.

 The common octopus is considered quite intelligent, in fact it is the most intelligent of all molluscs.

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