Octopus

[SamFamAustin]

OK, this isn't a James Bond movie question, it is whether you folks have seen octopus in the Abacos .. and maybe have a picture.

The ones we have here in TX are quite small and very secretive, and the nature agencies only find them if they come up in the shrimp trawls - maybe 10 to 12 inches long at best.

But I've seen them in the wild and the local nature centers and when they're fed in the tank the octopus is trully incredible. The kids love it. They can eat any kind of crab, no matter how fisky or large, within about 15 seconds. They munch for about 20 minutes and appear to take a nap afterwards. Ahhhhhhhh.

Bertha, our last octopus in the nature tank, died a year ago and it was a bummer because she had baby eggs almost ready to release. The name is close and I will check with Scarlet Colley about the old octopus in the tank. In general the octopus only seem to live about 4-5 years here. I bet there are some other, larger species of octopus in the Abacos, though.

Change colors and act fluid like a dancer but charge like a lightning bolt, that's what I saw. They are ultimate cool and no, they will not eat the tourists for lunch. If anyone comes across any in the Abaco or has any pictures, well, it might be something different, something new, and something worth thinking about. I'll see if I can find some Bertha pictures somewhere in the meantime. /Sam

[PELLUCID]

Here are a couple of pictures of an octopus in ankle-deep water off Johhny's Cay. That's my hand tickling the octopus. Shortly thereafter, I got inked as the critter jetted away.

My identification book lists 6 or 8 species that occur in the Bahamas. Most are small, but the Common Octopus is said by some to reach 5 feet across. Most likely that is the species in the pictures attached.

My last boy scout crew of the summer saw a most unusual sight while snorkeling off Nippers -- an octopus that had captured a sea turtle! They said the octopus was a 5-footer but of course everything looks bigger underwater. Half its arms were wrapped around the turtle, and half were holding on the the reef. Must have been quite a struggle! Apparently the octopus was trying to figure out how to eat the turtle, now that it was catptured.

As I undertand, 5 years is about the maximum lifespan for octopus and squid. The femal octopus is larger than the male. She mates, lays lots of eggs, and then dies. No word on whether the males get more than one shot at reproduction.

[SamFamAustin]

Awesome, thanks!

[DrRalph]

OK, folks, riddle me this: what is a cephalopod, and what's the derivation of the term? Bob, I know you know, see who else can come up with it.

[patw]

http://www.thetartcart.com/videos/watch.aspx?media=3007

[lurker pete]

Good God. One shot and die. What a bummer!!!

[SamFamAustin]

Wow, Pat, that "head-foot" critter sure blended into that spongy thing there, simply incredible.

Thinking of my kids, I was wondering if there is a video of an octopus inking everything, but in reverse?

:rolleyes: