A Giant Red Mollusk

Pacific Giant Octopus - Enteroctopus dofleni

The pacific giant octopus is just one of many, many amazing animals. This mollusk is the largest octopus in the world. This octopus can be found along our western coast up along Canada to Alaska and across to Japan. It's tentacles can reach out 23 ft, however one it is usually only reaches 9 ¾ to 16 ft in length. Each tentacle is armed with 2,000 suction cups. They can weigh 22 to 110 lbs. Records exist of one that weighed up 297 lbs. Usually, this giant of the oceans weighs 99 lbs. They have a life span of only 4 years. The females will lay 10,000 eggs, which she cares for and guards until they hatch. She will not eat for the 5 to 8 months spent guarding the eggs. The giant octopus hunts by night. These giants feed on crabs, scallop, clams, fish, lobsters, and shrimp. They in turn are hunted by seals, sea otters, sharks, and other large fish. The giant octopus relies on a cloud of ink to escape from predators. If an enemy does manage to remove one of their tentacles, the octopus will regenerate a new one. The giant octopus takes shelter in a den in which it eats, and takes shelter from enemies. These creatures are intelligent and also curious. They have been known to attack people. Divers should use caution when around these animals.

Our oceans are filled with marvelous and beautiful creatures. Each of them are perfectly adapted to their environments. These creatures are known to open bottles to get at prey. These mollusks are masters of camouflage able to change their skin color and, it's skin's texture. To me, these animals are truly beautiful. Take the time to visit the web sites and view the pictures. Take the time to learn more about these beautiful animals, and those that live in your area. By learning about the world around you, I know you'll gain a deeper love for it and a great appreciation for it as well. For now, I'm out!

 http://dive.bc.ca/pictures/octo/octo.html

http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/Invertebrates/Facts/cephalopods/FactSheets/Pacificoctopus.cfm

http://www.aqua.org/animals_giantpacificoctopus.html

http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/efc/octopus.asp

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Pacific_Giant_Octopus