Caribbean Reef Octopus

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The Caribbean Reef Octopus or Octopus briareus is a remarkable coral reef marine animal. It has eight long arms that vary in length and diameter. Its “body” is big chunky in comparison to their arms (up to 60cm long). The Caribbean Reef Octopus (Octopus briareus) is very difficult to described due to the fact that it changes color and texture in order to blend into its surroundings. It dose this by using special skin cells called chromeatophores. It’s color range is incredibly large, it can change from chrisom to green, bumpy to smooth. It weights around 3.3 lbs or 1.5 k.g.

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[edit] Lives

The Caribbean Reef Octopus lives in warm waters around coral reef invironments and grassy and rocky sea beds. There Biogeographic Regions are as follows: Nearctic region (The northern part of the world, e.g. Greenland, the Canadian Archtic islands and North America.) Neotropical Region: (Central and South America) Oceanic Islands and the Pacific Ocean. The Caribbean Reef Octopus lives in hidden, rocky lairs that are very difficult to locate. Their lairs are usually created in shallow warm waters. Octopus briareus is not a social animal and dose not interact with other Octopus briareus unless mating. If one Octopus was to go into any other Octopuses lair there would be an inevitable fight. Much like us humans there are some unspoken laws, Caribbean Reef Octopuses should stay 60 feet away at all times, or might invoke a fight. If faced with a predator a Caribbean reef Octopus, like most other Octopuses, would suck up a volume of water then expel it in the form of a jet of water to propel it away from the foe. To further deter preditors the Caribbean Reef Octopus can eject oil to mask its escape. The Caribbean Reef Octopus dose not live in its lair for its entire life, instead it moves often except while caring for young/eggs.

[edit] Eats

The Caribbean Reef Octopus eats a verity of thing like: Crabs or shrimp, Lobsters, polychaetes and a varying variety of fish are also a part of the Octopuses diet. The Caribbean Reef Octopus is a nocturnal species and only hunts at night.

[edit] Intelligence

The Octopus briareus like most other Octopuses is one of, if not the, most intelligent of all invertebrates. The Octopuses ability to remember where a foe resides and then avoid it, is considered to be intelligent (remarkable in my oun terms)an Octopus has also been known to learn from other of the same specie and some have even disguised themselves as algae and coco nuts to avoid predatory detection! The Reef Octopus (Caribbean Reef Octopus) while being not very aggressive will turn on a fellow reef Octopus and show cannibalistic qualities if lots of them are kept very near each other.

[edit] Predators

The Caribbean reef octopus dose not seem to have any specialized or outstanding predators. It is “eaten” mostly by some sharks, stingrays and even some predatory fish, but like I said before, it has no specialized threats or foes.

[edit] Reproduction

The Caribbean Reef Octopus mating season lasts for one to two months and is usually around January. He Caribbean Reef Octopus male and female sexes do not have dimorphism between them. Sexually they are very much the same, except for the reproductory organs of course. The male first “mounts” the females mantle then inserts the hectocotylus, an arm that acts as a “tube” to allow the sperm to enter the females oviduct. This lasts around half an hour. Octopus Briareus usually mates during the day and only the male Octopus can initiate or stop the mating process. After the female octopus has been “fertilized”, it can store the sperm in its oviduct for at most, one hundred days. After finding a suitable lair, the female then lays its eggs. Some females have been known to seal themselves in their lair while “pregnant.” A female can lay up to 500 eggs clusters of eggs joined by special stalks. The female then sits with her eggs until they are ready to hatch. If any creatures come near the eggs, the female will attack it, though if it kills the creature, will not eat it. The eggs take 50 to 80 days to hatch, but will hatch more quickly in warmer waters. Newly hatched babies are able to jet propel themselves round and squirt ink, much like their parents. In just 14 weeks the hatchlings are 75% of their full grown size and in just 140 days male hatchlings are sexually ready for life ahead, 150 days for females.

[edit] Human Relations

The Caribbean Reef Octopus has a very good relationship with humans. Basically, we don’t use them for any fashion items or accessories, there is no illegal market for them (that I am aware of), we don’t use them for any delicacies and we don’t poach them. The Caribbean Reef Octopus is relatively harmless and their bits are not deadly. The Caribbean Reef Octopuses conservation status is good, we have not harmed them (as a species) and there is no specialized predators to wipe them out. My only concern is that the Caribbean Reef Octopus may be in danger of dehabbitation in the future. If the coral reef die then it will have no home, and probably no food source.

Ivey1 (talk) 06:27, 7 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] References


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