cyanea in a cave

[mucktopus]

We came across this Octopus cyanea foraging on the roof of a cave the other day (its ocelli weren't being expressed strongly, but were there). Oahu is crawling with octos. Last night we saw four species of octo in about an hour of snorkeling.

 

[Colin]

Very cool!

What others are you finding Chrissie?

 

[Architeuthoceras]

Great Photo! I actually mistook that eyespot for an eye

 

[mucktopus]

Don't worry- that is the eye- in this pic you can only barely see a hint of one of the ocelli as a slightly raised circle of skin slightly up and to the right of the funnel.

On this trip we've seen ornatus, cyanea (both during the day and out in bright moonlight), cf. luteus, cf. hawiiensis (spelled "wrong" in the original description), Amphioctopus arenicola, the long-armed sand octopus, and a couple others that are potentially new. It's been a good summer. Not sure if I'll be able to check in over the next month- will be on Palmyra Atoll with a team from the Cal Acad trying to find the octos there- though night diving will be heavily restricted.

 

[jc45]

That octo has a really cool coloration.

Joey