Creature Feature Encyclopedia: Cephalopoda
![Red Octopus](../../../images/library/encyclopedia/octopus.jpg) |
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
|