Creature Feature Encyclopedia: Cephalopoda

Red Octopus Octopus rubescens Size: to 20" (51 cm) Range: Alaska to Baja California

The octopus prefers to be alone and likes to hide inside its rocky home. It uses its eight arms for feeding, tasting, and walking. It is very clever, with an ability to learn and remember things. The octopus feeds primarily on crabs and shellfish, using its beak and drill-like tongue (called a radula) to bore holes in their shells. Most species show their moods by turning from silver to brilliant pink when disturbed. If threatened, it squirts out a black, inky cloud to temporarily blind and confuse the predator, allowing the octopus time to escape.

~A Swim through the Sea © 1994