The giant Pacific octopus grows bigger and lives longer than any
other octopus species. The size record is held by a specimen that was 30
feet across and weighed more than 600 pounds. Averages are more like 16
feet and 110 lbs.
Life Cycle
They live to be about four years old, with both males and females
dying soon after breeding. Females live long enough to tend fastidiously
to their eggs, but they do not eat during this months-long brooding
period, and usually die soon afterwards.
Camouflage
Giant Pacific octopuses have huge, bulbous heads and are generally
reddish-brown in color. Like the other members of the octopus family,
though, they use special pigment cells in their skin to change colors
and textures, and can blend in with even the most intricately patterned
corals, plants, and rocks.
Diet and Range
They hunt at night, surviving primarily on shrimp, clams, lobsters,
and fish, but have been known to attack and eat sharks as well as birds,
using their sharp, beaklike mouths to puncture and tear flesh. They
range throughout the temperate waters of the Pacific, from southern
California to Alaska, west to the Aleutian Islands and Japan.
Intelligence and Population
Highly intelligent creatures, giant Pacific octopuses have learned to
open jars, mimic other octopuses, and solve mazes in lab tests. Their
population numbers are unknown, and they do not currently appear on any
lists of endangered or vulnerable animals. However, they are sensitive
to environmental conditions and may be suffering from high pollution
levels in their range.
:o)
Aren't you glad Charlie hasn't learned to open jars. LOL
ReplyDeleteHubby won't let him in the house....... "o(
DeleteWOW!
ReplyDeleteDon't think I'd want one for a pet!
Delete