AnimalID

Name

5415

Giant Pacific Octopus

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Description:

The reclusive giant octopus of the Pacific should be a source of great entertainment for your guests--if you can coax him out of his house. These gigantic cephalopods can grow up to 30 feet in diameter (measured from arm to arm). They build and maintain homes throughout their Pacific habitats and are very reluctant to come out and entertain visitors.

During their three-to-five year life spans, the giant octopus, one of the largest of the invertebrates, can grow to a mass of over 250 pounds. Most people have heard of the eight arms of the octopus, but few know of their specialized purposes. The two dorsal arms are used for exploring--even a blind octopus can feel and grasp its way across the ocean floor. The next two arms are the offensive arms, used for grabbing. The remaining four arms are the ventral arms, used for anchorage. An octopus always tries to have some contact with the sea floor, preferring to avoid drifting with the currents. All eight of these arms can be elongated considerably, but the octopus can also contract itself, squeezing itself into very small spaces. Each arm is covered in two rows of sucker disks that are one to two inches in diameter and can regenerate if lost. The blue-blooded octopus has two gills for gas circulation, with a circulatory system similar to that of a fish. The main part of the body, the mantle, has openings used to renew the water in the body cavity. This water is used as part of the octopus’ jet propulsion system for movement.

The favorite foods of the giant octopus are crabs and shrimp. When they cannot find these foods, they are also known to eat scallops, snails, fish, turtles, all kinds of crustaceans, and other mollusks (even other octopi). Since many of these animals have exterior shells or exoskeletons, the octopus needs to be an expert can opener. First they subdue their prey by spitting poison onto them. Then they bite them open, pull them apart with their suckered arms, or drill through a particularly hard to open shell with their beaks. Once open, the octopus injects saliva into the flesh of its prey to soften the meat so that it can be sucked out. When not hunting, most octopi are busy avoiding predators. Large fish, sea otters, elephant seals, sea lions, and other octopi all hunt the giant octopus, and without a hard shell or much of a defense system, they must count on being sufficiently alert to escape predators.

The giant octopus has several features helping it escape predators. The first of these is "homochromatism," the ability of the octopus to take on the coloration of its surroundings. Using cells known as chromatophores and iridocytes, the octopus can change its color to match its surroundings. An octopus can change color in as little as two seconds. Color changes are used both for camouflage and to express emotions (a red octopus is an angry octopus). The giant octopus can also create a cloud of ink to cover its getaway.

Most of the defense systems of a giant octopus center on being able to make a quick escape. An important part of this plan is to have a den to escape to. All octopi have a den, hole, or home. An octopus den may be a cave or a man-made object (like a pot). Octopi are generally found on the ocean floor in water less than 65 feet deep. When choosing a den site, an octopus will avoid very shallow water, since waves and other disturbances are more common in shallow water, and these can move around objects in the den and get sand inside the animal’s mantle. In addition to hiding inside their houses, octopi build pebble defenses around their homes and maintain a trash pile (known as a midden) some distance from the house.

Female octopi have another use for their houses. Once in their lifetime, a female octopus will spend several days laying 20,000 to 100,000 eggs in four-inch cylindrical egg sacs suspended from a wall within her house. She will spend the next five to seven months tending, cleaning, and aerating these eggs. Generally, the female will not eat or leave the den during this period, since her constant attention to the eggs is needed to keep them alive. Because of this, female octopi generally die soon after their eggs hatch.

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General Information

Building an Exhibit

The Life Cycle

Who do they like to live with and eat?

To build a good animal exhibit you need to ask a few questions: (click them for the answers)

Which tank wall is suitable for this animal?     Remember that all tanks need a tank filter!

How big should the exhibit be and what Depth should the tank be?

What foliage should be used?

What rocks should be used?

What shelter does the animal need?

What toy does the animal like?

Does this animal perform in a show?

No

TankWallName

Purchase Cost

See Through

Height

Strength

Life

Cost Effective

Concrete Edge and Glass

$125

Yes

3

500

13

10.4

Atlantean Tank Wall

$125

Yes

3

500

13

10.4

Solid Concrete

$125

No

3

500

13

10.4

Black Bar and Glass

$130

Yes

3

500

13

10.0

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Who do they like to live with and eat?

Animal Density

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48

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2

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1

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9

10

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ID

Value

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Cost/ Square

Cost Effective

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ID

Value

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Size X

Size Y

Rock

Rock Effect

Purchase Cost

Cost Effective

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Shelter ID

Shelter Name

Shelter Value

Shelter Effect

Purchase Cost

Capacity

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ToyID

ToyName

ToyValue

PurchaseCost

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General Information

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Who do they like to live with and eat?

Compatible Animals

Prey Animals

KeeperFoodType:

Fish

Man

General Information

Building an Exhibit

The Life Cycle

Who do they like to live with and eat?