ADW: octopus_blastoff.jpg

Identification

Octopodidae

Permissions for Use

Location

Luzon Island, Philippines

Caption

I was following this 18-24 inch (45-60 cm) octopus for about ten minutes before it decided it no longer desired my company. An octopus will try bluffing or crawling away from a potential predator first, or if more desperate measures are needed, it uses its siphon to rapidly squirt jets of water for a quick escape. As a last resort, a store of "ink" is used to cloud the water, confusing the predator's sense of sight and smell.

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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