
Giant Pacific octopus
Latin name: Enteroctopus dofleini
Eight Suckered Arms to Hold You!
- It is the world's largest octopus. Each one of its eight arms has 280 suckers capable of moving independently from one another. When injured, its arms can regenerate.
- When it feels threatened, or simply to hide, the octopus can change its color, pattern and even texture for a perfect camouflage in its environment.
- It can release a non-toxic cloud of ink that acts as a screen. This "ink", made of a mixture of black pigments (melamine) and mucus, creates a diversion while the octopus escapes.
- It hunts especially at dusk and feeds on a variety of species including many crustaceans, but also bivalve mollusks, snails, fish, sharks and other octopuses.
- Fishing data leads us to think that the giant Pacific octopus is plentiful. However, the increase in human activity along the coastal zones could unsettle the species on a long term basis.
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Distribution
Cold coastal areas of the Pacific
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Habitat
Benthic zones and reefs
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Diet
Carnivore
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Status
Not Assessed
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Zoo Zone
South Pacific Odyssey Pavilion