Dumbo Octopus 

Family Opisthoteuthidae

These charming deep sea octopus get their common name from their paired fins that look like elephant ears. They are found to considerable depths - one was sighted at 7,000m, the deepest depth of any cephalopod.  They are some of the rarest of the Octopus species!

Subspecies

There are about 37 species.  Many are poorly understood.

Statistics

They are not very big.  They can grow to 20cm (up to 8 inches).

Distribution

They are found in every ocean.

Habitat

These are deep sea octopus, typically living from 100-5,000m depth, though they have been seen at 7,000m depth - the greatest depth for any cephalopod, and may venture into shallower waters in polar regions. They are typically benthic, living on or close to the bottom, though some may be found some meters from the seabed where they drift, with arms outspread.

Diet

Bottom-dwelling species eat crustaceans, worms and bivalves. Those hovering above the bottom tend to eat pelagic copepods. They are unusual in that they mainly swallow prey whole.

Behavioral Adaptation

These deep-dwelling octopus swim by flapping their large ears and/or by stretching out and pulling in of their webbed arms. They are graceful swimmers and capable of quick escape when threatened.

Reproduction

Males and female may differ in terms of size, and in terms of their sucker pattern - males sometimes having enlarged suckers on the arm. Males transfer packets of sperm, called spermatophores, to the female's mantle cavity. These rupture to fertilize the eggs. Eggs are laid individually, attached to substrate on the seabed. They are commonly quite large in size and the resulting young may be quite advanced at point of hatching. The ovaries of these octopus contain eggs at many different stages, implying that they lay continually, rather than having a discrete breeding season.

Conservation status

These octopus are poorly understood but are not considered to be endangered. 

Octopuses are found in waters all over the earth. They like to hide in rocks and crevices and can squeeze int

They eat crustaceans, worms and bivalves.  The are unusual because they mainly swallow their food whole!

Octopuses can squirt black ink to cloud the water, keeping predators from finding them as they escape. This ink is toxic, even to the octopus.

The dumbo octupus enemies are any sea water animal that will attack for food.
 

Sea Creature Checklist

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