Interestingly, there have been reports of giant octopuses washing up on shore in the Bahamas. In one case, the remains of a huge octopus were found on a beach on Grand Bahamas Island in 2011.
Where do Octopus live in the Caribbean?
Habitat/Distribution. This is one type of Octopus that has quite a large dispersement out there. They are found around the Bahamas, and of course the Caribbean where their name comes from. They are well known in the Atlantic Ocean, especially around the Western region of it.
Where can you see a lusca octopus in Florida?
The Bahamas Islands, off the southeast coast of Florida, are a hot spot for encounters between divers and a mythical gigantic octopus called the lusca. It is supposed to inhabit underwater caves, especially the large, nearly-vertical underwater caves that are commonly called "blue holes."
Do octopuses live in deep water?
Other octopuses, such as the common octopus, live in shallower water. Some, in fact, live close to the shore which makes them easily accessible by divers and snorkelers. Of course, being accessible and easily visible are two different things.
How big is a Caribbean reef octopus?
The Caribbean Reef Octopus has very dark circles of color around them. The body is about 5 inches in length but the span of the arms is quite a bit more. This can cover the space of about 23 inches. The overall size of them really depends on the particular region where they happen to live.
Are there octopuses in the Caribbean?
The Caribbean reef octopus is a warm-water species and can be found in the waters surrounding South Florida, the Caribbean Islands, and the northern coast of South America.
What oceans can you find octopus?
Octopuses are found in every ocean of the world and along every coast of the United States. Octopuses live in coastal marine waters and spend much of their time in dens—small holes and crevices in rocks and coral.
Is there octopus in the Gulf?
The octopus fishery in the Gulf of Mexico and the Mexican Caribbean Sea is made up of two species: red octopus (Octopus maya) and common octopus (Octopus vulgaris).
Are there octopuses in the Atlantic Ocean?
HABITAT. The common octopus exists worldwide in large quantities in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean (which is where we are located), the Mediterranean Sea, and in Japanese waters. They live in the upper part of the continental shelf, coastal waters, and like temperate, tropical, and subtropical waters.
Which sea has the most octopus?
Share. The giant Pacific octopus is considered the largest octopus species in the world and inhabits the northern Pacific Ocean off the United States up to Alaska and around Japan.
Do sharks eat octopus?
Many bottom-dwelling sharks, as well as the juveniles of larger pelagic sharks, will eat octopus. However, it doesn't all go in the shark's way as larger octopuses, including the giant pacific octopus, are able to catch and eat sharks and enjoy them as an exciting and filling meal.
Are there giant squids in the Gulf of Mexico?
A rarely-seen type of giant squid has been caught on camera in the deep ocean in the Gulf of Mexico. The US government's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) published the encounter on its Ocean Explorer website.
Does Texas have octopus?
The only species found in Texas water is Octopus vulgaris, the common octopus. They live a year to a year and a half, can reach up to four feet in length, and are often some shade of brown. O. vulgaris is very abundant and the most studied species of octopus.
Do squid live in the Gulf of Mexico?
Bird squid (Ornithoteuthis antillarum), a species of the family Ommastrephidae that is common in the Gulf of Mexico's deep ocean. Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, Gulf of Mexico 2018.
How big does a Caribbean octopus get?
The Caribbean reef octopus can grow as big as 12 cm with arms as long as 60 cm (Boyle, 1983). These creatures are usually rather bulky in size and blue-green in color, yet, as with all cephalopods, these creatures have a remarkable ability to camouflage themselves via color change.
Can you catch octopus in Florida?
Yes it's legal to catch and keep octopus in Florida.
Are there octopus in the Mediterranean?
Callistoctopus macropus, also known as the Atlantic white-spotted octopus, white-spotted octopus, grass octopus or grass scuttle, is a species of octopus found in shallow areas of the Mediterranean Sea, the warmer parts of the eastern and western Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, and the Indo-Pacific region.
Do octopus live in open oceans?
Alert. This year for Cephalopod Week, we're talking about octopods (or octopuses, but not octopi!) and squids by habitat. Cephalopods live everywhere in the oceans: near the shore in shallow water; far from land in the open ocean; in the ocean's dark middle depths (the planet's largest habitat); and in the deep sea.
Do octopuses live in tropical waters?
They live in all the world's oceans but are especially abundant in warm, tropical waters. Octopuses, like their cousin, the squid, are often considered “monsters of the deep,” though some species, or types, occupy relatively shallow waters.
How long do octopus live in the Atlantic Ocean?
The North Atlantic Octopus is a species that lives slower and dies a bit older as well. Recent studies have confirmed that this octopus can survive for six years or even more, and not only for 3 years as it was previously believed. Lifespan depends highly on water temperature.
Where was the largest octopus found?
The largest know specimen of a Giant Pacific Octopus measured 30 feet in length and weighed 600 pounds. It was found washed ashore on the coast of British Columbia, Canada. Mind you, the average size of documented specimens of this species is 17 feet in length with a weight of 150 to 175 pounds.
Where do octopus live?
They are found around the Bahamas, and of course, the Caribbean where their name comes from. They are well known in the Atlantic Ocean, especially around the Western region of it. They love to reside in seagrass and along the corral reefs out there. They do glow at night under lighting due to their coloring.
How long has the octopus been on Earth?
It is believed that the Octopus has been on Earth for millions of years. Finding fossilized remains though is extremely difficult. We really have nothing to compare them to now versus early species.
What do octopus eat?
The Caribbean Reef Octopus spends most of its night looking for food. The majority of the diet is made up of crustaceans. They will capture them in the webbing of their arms, bite to release venom, and then the paralyzed critter won’t have any way to survive against it as the beak breaks the shell and eats what is inside of it. Various types of small fish are also known to be part of their diet as well.
What color are octopus?
The Caribbean Reef Octopus is one that has a fascinating look to it. The combination of blue and green color is something that gets people’s attention. There can be brown on them too which ranges in shades of color. This is their coloring though when they are in their normal state. They are able to change the pigment of their body with ease. This serves as a type of protection for them from predators.
What are the predators of octopus?
Among them include eels, stingrays, small species of sharks, and various types of fish. They do put up a very good fight against these types of predators. If they can’t run then they will release ink from their bodies to confuse the predators.
How big are octopus?
This is a medium-sized type of Octopus, with an overall weight of just over three pounds. They have a head that is very large which is part of their mantle. The eight arms are extremely thick. They aren’t able to move as quickly as other species of Octopus but they don’t have to. Their abilities to lie flat allow them to appear like part of the natural scenery instead of a living creature. The body is often arranged in a pattern that looks like a parachute that is open and lying on the ground.
How long does it take for a squid to hatch?
The incubation period will also be affected by the water. When it is warm they may only have 50 days or so before they hatch. In cooler temperatures, it can be as long as 80 days though. The young offspring are amazing – able to move quickly through the water and to instinctively find food. They have a very quick growth rate too due to the whirlwind life span for them.
How many species of octopus are there?
The fact that there are over 300 species of octopus is a direct result of living in so many different habitats.
How deep do octopuses live?
For example, species such as the dumbo octopus are known to live in ocean depths that exceed one mile. They have become well adapted to that habitat. There are also many other deepwater octopuses.
What Oceans Do They Call Home?
Octopuses live in every ocean on the planet as well as the continuous seas and gulfs which emanate from them. Yes, this includes the Arctic ocean.
Why do octopus move?
Another reason for the constant moving has to do with food. If after a while, the hunting ground of the octopus starts showing a shortage of food, then the octopus will wisely move to a new location .
How long did it take for octopuses to evolve?
Having had over 500 million years to evolve and being extremely smart creatures, it should be no surprise that octopuses proliferate the oceans.
What do octopuses use for their dens?
Some octopuses that live near areas where the ocean has accumulated large amounts of litter have been known to use discarded bottles, cans, and other remnants of the modern world as construction material for their dens.
Where do cephalopods live?
All cephalopods, which include squids, cuttlefish, and octopuses, live in saltwater environments. This means that all 300 species of octopuses live in the oceans or connected seas.
What are the names of the giant octopus?
Long ago, reports of large sea monsters with tentacles were generally lumped together under the label kraken. Sometimes the two proposed species of gigantic octopus are called the "kraken octopus" (for the smaller kind) and the "colossal octopus" (for the kind big enough to threaten ships). Unproven types of gigantic octopus have also received local names in the regions where they are reported, such as rogu-tomu for the gigantic octopus of Tahiti.
Why are octopus considered globsters?
This is partly because the best and largest of them rotted badly while the scientific community ridiculed them , and were not in good enough shape to convince skeptical minds once science did take interest. Measuring invertebrates is an inexact science anyway because of how easily their bodies stretch, and a carcass that has nearly rotted away is an even worse candidate than normal. Some people think that it is only a matter of time, though, until enough really large carcasses are recovered and giant octopuses longer than 25 feet begin to appear in biology books, not just cryptozoology books.
