Dolphin Tales: Caribbean reef octopus
I am intrigued that the octopus can be found in our Southwest Florida waters. The most common variety found in our waters is the Caribbean reef octopus (Octopus briareus).
The octopus is a master of camouflage and difficult to spot. They are extremely intelligent invertebrates and are found on reefs and other shallow water habitats which makes Southwest Florida a perfect habitat. We do not have coral reefs inshore, but we have shallow grass flats and oyster beds for habitat.
The octopus has eight long arms. However, they are difficult to describe because they change color and texture to blend into their surroundings. They have specialized skin cells known as chromatophores that allow them to change from crimson to green, and bumpy to smooth. A typical Caribbean reef octopus weighs around 3.3 pounds.
The Caribbean reef octopus feeds on crabs, shrimp, lobsters and a variety of fish. It is a nocturnal species which only hunts at night. They are ambush predators, using their webbed arms to create a “parachute” to envelop prey or to sneak up on them.
Octopuses have three hearts and blue blood. Two hearts pump blood to the gills for oxygen, and one circulates the oxygenated blood to the rest of the body. They live solitary lives, only interacting with others for mating purposes.
If faced with a predator, the Caribbean reef octopus, like most other octopuses, sucks up a volume of water then expels it quickly in the form of a jet to propel itself away. To further deter predators, it can eject ink to mask its escape. Octopus ink is a defense mechanism primarily composed of melanin.
Captain Cathy Eagle has spent over 40 years boating on our local waters. As a professional charter captain, she specializes in dolphin and nature tours. Visit CaptainCathy.com or call /text 239 994-2572. Welcome aboard!