Interesting facts about the octopus habitat

Octopus appears among cephalopods. The symmetric creatures (cephalopods) feature four sets if arms and two eyes. However, as its name suggests, octopus contains eight pairs of arms thus differing in appearance from its relations including snails and oysters. It tends to relate more closely to squids than other cephalopods.

Although octopuses lack shells, they have hard beaks with their mouths in a central position. Interestingly, lacking a skeleton enables them to squeeze their way and navigate via narrow paths to their favorite destinations- coral reefs.

They appear harmless but you should flee from them if you met them under water. Because of the characteristic, blue-ringed octopus that can cost your life. Often, octopuses reside in the crevices and cracks of ocean rocks. Essentially, you cannot venture into octopuses without peeping through the underwater ecosystems.

Normally, the kind of octopus in question influences its habitat. For example, apart from the Giant Pacific common octopus that loves the Northern Pacific Ocean, most octopuses dwell in mild oceans waters. Additionally, most of them live on the ocean floors while a few reside on the surface of the ocean. Even so, reefs, coasts, benthic and ocean beds home most of the octopuses.

There exist some distinctive characteristics for all habitats of all kinds of octopuses. As boneless creatures, octopuses pride in flexibility that allows them to squeeze their organs and make their way into the tiniest crannies and nooks when vanishing from predators. These cephalopods also love nesting. Hence, you will find them creating their homes either in a crevice or close to the ocean bed. In certain extremes, they will dig holes through the sand in order to mimic a den for their residence. Whichever habitat an octopus desires, a vital home will always save it and allow it to hide from its predators. Furthermore, those homes enable female octopuses to lay and incubate their eggs. You will adore the fact that octopuses often garner rocks if not shells from other sea creatures in order to establish a fortification around the entrance of their dens. This way, they can disguise their habitats especially from their predators.

Different types of marine creatures provide or act as food for octopuses. For example, octopuses depend on snails, crustaceans, small crabs and fish for their nutritious dieting. Shockingly, they can also feed on other octopuses. When time for dining comes, an octopus will use the suckers of its arm to snare and secure its prey. Then, all its arms unite to collect the prey and drag it closer to its mouth. It uses its beak in biting the prey. Octopuses contain paralyzing saliva. Hence, once the saliva gets into its prey, it softens the flesh of the latter. This makes it easier for the octopus to bite into, tear and eat its prey.

Other creatures including dolphins, sharks and moray eels reside in the octopus’ habitat acrimoniously. Remember, these creatures predate on octopuses. This forces octopuses to use their power of camouflaging and modifying their patterns, textures and colors in order to live with the predators. If it fails in faking its identity, the octopus will produce a black ink that protects it by dimming the senses of its attackers for longer durations while they make their escape.

Above all, blue ringed Octopus live as interesting, intelligent and curious sophisticated members of their ecosystem. Then, their underwater world remains beautifully balanced for the survival of the octopus.

Find more information relating to mimic octopus, and common octopus here.

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