Cunning cephalopods: 8 sneaky squid, octopus and cuttlefish

Posted by Danielle Boobyer — 9 October 2014 at 1:24pm - Comments
Octopus sitting on the sea bed
All rights reserved. Credit: Shutterstock
Octopus celebrating Cephalopod Week

With cunning ways of evading predators and snaring their prey, cephalopods are the ninjas of our oceans. From the scary 'vampire squid from hell' to the adorable Dumbo octopus, here’s eight quirky ocean-dwellers which show why caring about these fascinating animals should go beyond #CephalopodWeek.

1. Vampire Squid:
With its black cloak and red eyes, this scary species is well-deserving of its Latin name meaning "vampire squid from hell”. It flips its black ‘cloak’ (a webbed area of skin joining its tentacles) over its body to protect itself from predators. If it wasn’t already cool enough, the vampire squid is covered in light-emitting photophores, which the squid can turn on and off to confuse predators or attract its prey. Although the vampire squid may sound scary, it is only 30cm (1 foot) long.

2. Mimic octopus:
This cunning chameleon of the ocean avoids being eaten by impersonating other poisonous animals. It mimics multiple species by changing its skin colour, texture, body shape and behaviour. Most amazing is how it imitates the venomous sea snake. The mimic octopus hides in a hole, only leaving two legs exposed. It adopts a yellow and black banding pattern, while waving its two arms in opposite directions to mimic snake movement. It can even shift between mimics as it moves across the ocean floor.

3. Flamboyant cuttlefish:
This is one cuttlefish you won’t want to cuddle. While it may look pretty, its muscle tissue is extremely toxic. While other colour-changing cephalopods use the ability to blend in with their surroundings, this cuttlefish warns predators off with flamboyant displays involving vibrant hues and patterns.

4. Dumbo octopus:
This group of rarely-seen species takes its nickname from the Disney character, as the fins on their head-shaped grey bodies resemble Dumbo’s oversized ears. The Dumbo octopus dwells in the deep ocean, where it hovers above the sea floor by flapping its large ears and expanding and contracting the umbrella of skin between its tentacles. This way of moving allows the octopus to swim away when threatened by a predator.

5. Veined octopus:
The veined octopus really loves coconuts. It’s the first octopus to show tool use, having been observed picking up a coconut shell, tucking it under its body and stilt-walking away with it. The veined octopus uses the coconut shell as a fortress, which is useful on the sandy seabed where there are few places to hide from predators. When there’s no shell handy, the crafty cephalopod can trick its predators into thinking it’s a floating coconut. It does this by tightly wrapping six of its tentacles around its head, while moving across the ocean floor using the other two.

6. Giant squid:
The stuff of horror movies, the giant squid can grow to 13 metres – that’s even longer than a double decker bus. We don’t know much about these elusive giants as their deep ocean habitat makes them difficult to study. With eyes larger than the human head, it’s thought the giant squid has the largest eyes of any living animal. These enormous eyes allow it to detect its bioluminescent prey lurking in the dark depths of the ocean.

7. Blue-ringed octopus:
Don’t be deceived by its small size, this 8 inch octopus really packs a punch. Blue-ringed octopus are among the most deadly animals in our oceans. It takes its name from the pulsating bright blue rings which appear over its body as a warning when the octopus is threatened. The octopus uses its powerful beak to pierce its prey’s shell and inject its deadly saliva.

8. Firefly squid:
The fireflies of the oceans, these dazzling squid have light-emitting photophore organs over their bodies. Not only do the lights lure its small prey, they also help attract a mate or communicate with other squid. Found in deep-sea waters around Japan, the firefly squid light up fishing ports – creating a beautiful blue glow – as they gather in vast numbers to spawn.

Cephalopods are amazing animals. Their ocean home is being wrecked by destructive fishing, polluting industries and climate change. Join the movement to protect oceans and the cephalopods which inhabit them.

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