Discover the Enchanting Flapjack Octopus

selim12 January 25, 2024 0 Comments

The flapjack octopus, scientifically known as Opisthoteuthis California, is from the family umbrella octopus, Little is known about this Unique octopus species but let’s get to know its life.

Table of Contents

Who Discovered The Flapjack Octopus:

The American marine zoologist S. Stillman Berry discovered this deep-sea octopus back in 1949. Yet still some information is missing for this species.

Flapjack Octopus Description:

They have almost a pink color, with fins above their eyes like other octopuses. They can reach 20 cm. They have eight arms attached to the umbrella-shaped structure. The body is gelatinous with a parachute shape when swimming in the water. They can’t change body color like other species of Benthic octopus.

Habitat:

They are typically found in the northern and northeastern Pacific Ocean, ranging in the west from off central Honshū (Japan) and the Sea of Okhotsk, its northernmost range is the Bering Sea, and its eastern range is along the western coast of North America as far south as Eureka Bar. The depth range is from 125 meters to up to 1500 meters. They are also spotted on the seafloor.

Diet Of The Flapjack Octopus:

Their stomach contains small benthic/epibenthic crustaceans, small worms including copepods, isopods, mysids, and small shrimp.

Behavior:

Their lifestyle and movement through the water are quite unique as they move by moving their fins, pulsing their webbed arms, or pushing the water for jet propulsion or even the three. It’s not a strong swimmer, as it spreads its arms and lets the water current drift them to the seafloor. Males move to shallower water during summer. They rely on chemosynthesis when it comes to food.

Defensive Strategies and Predators:

The octopus doesn’t have any camouflage abilities. Yet, its pinkish-to-red color is a trick itself; it helps them blend into their environment as their color(light red) will appear black or invisible in the total darkness of the deep sea. They are really threatened by sharks, seals, and sperm whales.

Reproduction Of Flapjack Octopus:

They reproduce through continuous spawning where the female puts eggs through several years. They have a hard shell to protect them as the mother doesn’t provide brooding or any kind of care. It can carry from 1400 to 2380 eggs at a time 11 mm long. The egg hatching occurs every 1.4 years at 4°C. Males have large suckers helping them in completion and mating.