ADW: Octopus

Identification

Octopodidae

Permissions for Use

medium - large

Location

Luzon Island, Philippines

Caption

Caught in the open during a night dive, this octopus cautiously "rolls" its tentacles forward as it creeps along. The fleshy projections along its body look like horns, making it appear more intimidating as it retreats toward the nearest shelter. In the absence of light the octopus loses its ability to use color as camouflage, though none of its skin-texturing skills are wasted.

Contributors

Jeffrey N. Jeffords (photographer; copyright holder; identification)

To cite this page: Myers, P., R. Espinosa, C. S. Parr, T. Jones, G. S. Hammond, and T. A. Dewey. 2012. The Animal Diversity Web (online). Accessed at http://animaldiversity.org.

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Sponsored in part by the Interagency Education Research Initiative,
the Homeland Foundation and the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grants DUE-0633095 and DRL-0628151.
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