The size record is held by a specimen that was 30 feet across and weighed more than 600 pounds. Giant pacific octopus (Enteroctopus Dofleini) is a long-lived and large cephalopod. And their arm spans can be up to an incredible 20 feet across—about the height of a two-story building. In honour of World Octopus Day, let’s explore a few fun facts about the giant Pacific octopus: Let’s just get it out there right off the bat—this species holds the record for the largest octopus in world. At the point when a female octopus lays eggs, it … Chris Mellett Little wonder, considering they are a bit unusual. Octopus are in the mollusk phylum (snails, clams, chitons) and more specifically are members of the class Cephalopoda which includes squid, cuttlefish and nautilus. Its body can change shape and squeeze into small gaps. The largest ever recorded weighed close to a whopping 600 lb! Dedicated mothers. 03 They have three hearts. With an average arm-span of 16 ft. across and weighing around 110 lb., they’re bigger than some of our crew members! An adult giant Pacific octopus is a stealthy hunter that eats a wide assortment of seafood — most commonly crustaceans such as crabs, clams and other molluscs. Want to learn more? Octopuses have eight arms, each of which has two rows of suction cups the entire length of the arm. 1. The eggs are hatched after 6 months. A female Octopus can lay up to 200,000 eggs at once depending on the species. The larger octopuses have a span of 20 feet and weigh up to 110 pounds. Local 1-250-384-8008. Large and in Charge – These creatures can really live up to the name “giant” Pacific octopus. 01 Octopoda is the scientific name of the octopus. After a meal, the octopus discards the shell into a pile outside its den, known as an octopus's garden. It can be found from the intertidal zone down to 2,000 m (6,600 ft), and is best adapted to cold, oxygen-rich water. We use technologies such as cookies to track the success of our advertisements, understand how visitors use our site, and improve your browsing experience. However, like other octopus species, it can also change the texture as well as the color of its skin thanks to the pigment cells on its skin. Giant Pacific octopuses have a small home range of less than 5 square km. 1 Dallas Road They have extremely good eyesight. They’ve been known to pry the lid off their tank, climb out and cross the floor, climb up to another tank containing a tasty treat, remove the lid, capture their prize and then make the return journey home (sometimes to the great puzzlement of their caretakers who wonder where the rest of the animals have disappeared to). The Giant Pacific Octopus is found in a large swath of the — wait for it — Pacific Ocean. 2020 Eagle Wing Tours / Privacy Policy. The adult giant Pacific octopus eats a wide assortment of seafood including crabs, clams and other mussels. I am a cephalopod (meaning “head-foot”), and am related to squid and cuttlefish. The common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) is 12 to 36 inches (30.5 to 91.4 centimeters) long and weighs 6.6 to 22 lbs. The female octopus does not eat anything while nurturing her eggs. They also exhibit very distinct individual personality traits. The giant Pacific octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini), additionally referred to as the North Pacific giant octopus, is actually the most extensive and longest-lived octopus on the planet. BOSTON (AP) — Mythology and superstition have portrayed octopuses as alien beings or evil creatures dwelling in the terrifying dark depths of oceans. They can use their … The giant Pacific octopus can be found in southern California, northward along the coast of North America, across the Aleutian Islands and southward to Japan. As soon as the eggs are hatched, the parents die. Average size is 16 feet (4.9 m) in length from the top of its body (mantle) to the tip of its arms. The giant Pacific octopus lives in the Pacific Ocean off the coasts of Russia, Japan, … Quick facts about the world's largest known octopus species! They are then sold as human food or fishing bait. This species tends to be small when it lives in warmer water and larger in colder waters, such as the North Pacific. They can also change the texture of their skin which allows them to very easily blend into their surroundings. The largest species of Octopus is the North Pacific Giant Octopus. On average, I am about 12 feet in length and weigh more than 50 pounds. The Giant Pacific Octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini, giant octopus, monster of the deep). The giant Pacific octopus lives only 3–4 years; females will lay eggs and tend to them, fanning and oxygenating them while fasting, and then will die. Communication and Perception. octopus ever recorded weighed about 600 pounds and stretched 30 feet across! Each pair of arms of giant Pacific octopuses has up to 280 suckers, which have thousands of chemical receptors. Their shells are just located inside their head as 2 small plates and the remainder of their body is soft and malleable. Giant Pacific octopuses have no bones but they do have a beak, much like a parrot’s. Octopuses are molluscs, belonging to the same phylum as clams, snails and chitons. Impressive, as there are 300 known species of octopuses in the world’s oceans. Octopoda means eight limbs. It is a cephalopod, related to the squid, cuttlefish, and nautilus. Found throughout the coastal North Pacific, this charismatic invertebrate thrives in the cold, productive waters off the BC coast. Giant Pacific octopuses can change color in one-tenth of a second. 12 Erie St - Fisherman's Wharf The mantle has… Despite their size, this species is known to be able to squeeze itself through very thin holes, sometimes even two inches across. Giant Pacific Octopus Facts for Kids – Interesting Facts about Giant Pacific... Cookie Cutter Shark Facts for Kids – Cookie Cutter Shark Interesting Facts, Greenland Shark Facts for Kids – Greenland Shark Interesting Facts & Information, Megalodon Shark Facts for Kids – Megalodon Shark Facts and Information, Tasmanian Devil Facts for Kids – Fun Facts & Information, Wedge Tailed Eagle Facts for Kids – Australian Wedge Tailed Eagle Facts, Harpy Eagle Facts for Kids – Harpy Eagle Fun Facts. Giant Pacific octopuses can grow to 29.5 feet (9 m) wide from the tip of one arm to the tip of another and 44 pounds (20 kg). The Giant Pacific Octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini) is a large, marine invertebrate (soft-bodied) mollusc in the Octopoda order. The region octopuses live in stretches from southern California to Alaska’s Coast. The giant Pacific octopus has three hearts, nine brains and blue blood, making reality stranger than fiction. It weighs around 33 pounds. The giant Pacific octopus has three hearts, nine brains and blue blood, making reality stranger than fiction. It is a very smart creature and can mimic other species and even patterned rocks. At this time of year, Eagle Wing Tours offers a range of tour…, Whale Watching – Day Tours up to 10-20% OFF. The average lifespan of this octopus is 3 to 5 years. The Giant Pacific Octopus Habitat that they inhabit is the Northern Pacific Waters and prefer water temperatures of 60 degrees or cooler. The giant Pacific octopus catches prey by surprise using camouflage, jet propulsion and the sure grip that comes with having eight arms. On average, the arm span of the Giant Pacific octopus can reach 8 feet, and on rare occasions, 20 feet. In captivity, these octopuses are found to eat spiny dogfish. These cephalopods are actually mollusks. They’re also venomous, and with a sharp beak can deliver a nasty bite if provoked. Octopuses come in many different sizes. The giant Pacific octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini) is a fascinating creature. The size of a hatchling is not more than a grain of rice. Eagle Wing Whale Watching Tours Giant pacific octopus has fat and round-shaped head. Yeah, that’s one large chunk of … Here are a few links: Special thanks to Jeff Reindl and the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea for the photos. - These creatures are occasionally cannibalistic and eat members of their own species. Giant Pacific octopus is usually reddish-brown in color. Common enrichment for captive octopuses in aquariums includes making dinner a bit harder to get to, using puzzle boxes and even things like child-proof pill bottles (which, let’s face it, are sometimes hard for even adults to open!). (3 to 10 kilograms). Giant pacific octopus (Enteroctopus Dofleini) is a long-lived and large cephalopod. A month or more after mating, the female lays 18,000 to 74,000 eggs (occasionally more). Fun Facts About Giant Pacific Octopuses. These provide an acute sense of touch and … like this octopus photographed just off the Victoria breakwater a few years ago attacking a gull, see our map for the best route to find us, 8 fun facts about the giant Pacific octopus. The giant Pacific octopus grows bigger and lives longer than any other octopus species. Giant pacific octopus has fat and round-shaped head. Their intelligence and excellent eyesight can sometimes make them seem quite alien as they observe us observing them. Decisions. 2. These shy predators can be found anywhere from the intertidal zone to depths of over 1,500 ft. Like true introverts, giant Pacific octopuses exhibit a preference for staying in their dens unless enticed to exit by the possibility of a meal. 05 Like most creatures, they also have two eyes. The largest confirmed individual had an arm span of about 32 feet. Things to know about the giant Pacific octopus, which is … The giant Pacific octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini) is the largest octopus. There are at least 3 other species of octopus found in Alaskan waters but the giant Pacific octopus is the most frequently encountered. They are very intelligent and use a range of strategies to catch and eat their food. Giant pacific octopus lays from 120,000 to 400,000 eggs. Toll-Free 1-800-708-9488 I am the largest and longest-living of all octopus species, which I like to think makes me the king of the octopuses! They typically grow to 16 feet (5 meters) long and weight around 110 lbs. The color of this octopus is reddish-brown. We get our name because our arms are connected directly to our head (contrary to popular belief, my eight appendages are called “arms”, not “tentacles”). It is a long-lived octopus. Besides, among sharks, the great white and the pacific sleeper shark usually prey on these octopuses. Not only can they get out of things; they can also get into them. The biggest one got weighed 600 pounds and its appendages spread over 33 feet. 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