Skip to main content

Giant Pacific Octopus

Enteroctopus dofleini
The Giant Pacific Octopus is regarded as being the largest of all the Octopus species. Some specimens have weighed in at 150lbs! They have arms that can reach six feet in length, and the females are generally larger than the males. As with many Octopus species, they have special pigment cells in their skin that allow them to change color to match their surroundings.

As the name denotes, this Cephalopod lives in the Pacific Ocean-- specifically in the North Pacific. You'll find these Octopuses at a wide range of depths, from the shallow coasts to waters as deep as 1,500ft. They feed on Mollusks and Crustaceans, breaking shells with their strong beaks. For the extra tough prey, they have a organ called the Salivary Papilla. They can use this to bore into shells, and secrete saliva that can corrode the tough layers.

Giant Pacific Octopuses have a surprisingly short life-span. Five years tends to be their maximum life expectancy, and most live even fewer years than that. Females pass on while guarding their young, starving themselves so that their eggs stay safe. She may lay as many as 100,000 eggs, and will spend seven months in a den, tending to her offspring until they hatch. Though males do not take part in this obsessive brooding ritual, they too die not long after mating.

IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : Pacific Ocean
Size : Weight up to 150lbs (68kg)
Classification : Phylum : Mollusca -- Class : Cephalopoda -- Order : Octopoda
Family : Octopodidae -- Genus : Enteroctopus -- Species : E. dofleini

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Bornean Orangutan

The Bornean Orangutan is one of two extant Orangutan species in the world. It is the third largest primate (after Gorillas) and is the largest primarily tree-dwelling animal in the world. Males are substantially larger than females, and average at around 165lbs. Bornean Orangutans are largely solitary. A handful might live within a small range but they will seldom interact with one another. Males and females only meet up to breed, which happens only once every several years. A young Orangutan will stay with it's mother for about five years, and the females tend to go about eight years between births. That is the longest interim period of any animal! Sadly, the Bornean Orangutans are in a lot of trouble. They need large forests in order to thrive, and deforestation and habitat degradation has left many homeless. They are also hunted for meat and for traditional medicines. Conservation areas are being established to help these guys in the wild, and it is believed that there are a...

Halloween Crab

Gecarcinus quadratus The Halloween Crab goes by many names, including the Red Land Crab, Whitespot Crab, and Moon Crab. I personally like Halloween Crab though, since it really reflects the interesting colors. They have black carapaces, orange-red legs, and purple claws! Halloween Crabs live in the Pacific coast mangroves and forests of Central and South America. They actually live in the forests as adults, and return to the ocean in order to reproduce. Did you know that they live as far away as 18 miles (30km)  from water? Not where you normally think Crabs to be! While living in the forest, the Crabs forage nocturnally for different plant matter, including leaves and sapling. They also dig long burrows into the ground for protection. These burrows can measure nearly 5 ft long! Halloween Crabs are sometimes kept in captivity, and can be very tricky pets due to their excellent climbing skills. IUCN Status :  Not Listed ...

Four!

For anyone who was counting, yesterday was our birthday-- four years! Four years filled with animals from A to Z, more than 1,100 of them! I can't thank my readers enough, it's been wonderful! And in celebration of that milestone... I'm taking a break. Hopefully not forever, but for a little bit at least. In the mean time I plan on getting a new layout out, along with some updates to some of the older articles. I'll post updates here and on the Facebook page, I'm also brainstorming some new animal-related projects, so keep an eye out! Thanks again for four awesome years!