- Joined
- Jul 25, 2011
- Messages
- 3
Ok, name is Ben and I am a third year under-graduate Marine Biology major. I am doing my best to specialize in cephalopods.
SO at the moment I am on a small island in Honduras observing the behavior of the local squid and octopus populations with my professor and two peers.
A few days ago I went night snorkeling off shore and found a good sized caribbean reef octopus. Its head was about 10 inches long and it was hunting. This was very cool to watch as it soon caught a fish. Eventually, I noticed something strange on its arm. I looked closer to see that is was a very small octopus, its head about 2 inches long if that, and of the same color as the large. It was holding onto one of the arms of the large one close to the base of the arm. The octopus continued about with its fish until coming to a large colony of star coral which it began to slip underneath and all the while the little one just kept hanging on. Also, While it was entering the coral, a third octpus, whos head was about 3 inches long came out of the coral and sat on top.
I have never heard of behavior between octopus of this fashion before. They could have been mates, but the size difference seems far too great for that. My professor whos been an invertebrate specialist for over 30 years hasnt the faintest idea what this means or has heard of it either.
Could anyone help shed some light on this phenomenon?
SO at the moment I am on a small island in Honduras observing the behavior of the local squid and octopus populations with my professor and two peers.
A few days ago I went night snorkeling off shore and found a good sized caribbean reef octopus. Its head was about 10 inches long and it was hunting. This was very cool to watch as it soon caught a fish. Eventually, I noticed something strange on its arm. I looked closer to see that is was a very small octopus, its head about 2 inches long if that, and of the same color as the large. It was holding onto one of the arms of the large one close to the base of the arm. The octopus continued about with its fish until coming to a large colony of star coral which it began to slip underneath and all the while the little one just kept hanging on. Also, While it was entering the coral, a third octpus, whos head was about 3 inches long came out of the coral and sat on top.
I have never heard of behavior between octopus of this fashion before. They could have been mates, but the size difference seems far too great for that. My professor whos been an invertebrate specialist for over 30 years hasnt the faintest idea what this means or has heard of it either.
Could anyone help shed some light on this phenomenon?