Giant Pacific Octopus
By XXX XXXXX
The Giant Pacific Octopus or enteroctopus dofleini is the largest species of octopus in the world and can grow up to 5 meters! With a weight of 10 – 50kg the Giant Pacific Octopus has no predators. It is a carnivore and will eat fish, birds, clams, shrimp, lobsters, sharks and even other octopuses!
Habitat
Diet
The Giant Pacific Octopus is a carnivore, so they eat fish, shrimp, clams, lobsters, birds, other octopus, squid and even sharks. These amazing creatures gain 1-2% of their body weight each day and never become fat.
Appearance
The Giant Pacific Octopus is reddish brown in colour but they can camouflage and change colour according to their mood and surroundings. With this, they can blend in to intricate patterns on coral, rocks and even plants. They have a weight of 10kg – 50kg and can grow from 3 metres – 5 metres in length. The 200 suckers on each leg helps the octopus to grab objects, such as their prey, rocks and coral.
Offspring
After they give birth they look after the eggs until they hatch and don’t eat whilst they look after them, but, unfortunately, after their eggs have hatched and they don’t need to look after them anymore, the female octopus dies leaving their babies to find food and shelter in the ocean.
Adaptations
The Giant Pacific Octopuses have 3 hearts, 2 for pumping blood to gills and one for pumping the blood to the rest of their body. They are also nocturnal and can hunt at night when their prey is sleeping, so they can see in the dark, and can squeeze into holes the size of their beak, which is about the size of a lemon. These amazing creatures can camouflage and change colour according to their mood and comfort levels. These octopuses swim alone and can mimic other octopus, rocks, coral and seaweed. They octopus can open jars with their eight legs and solve mazes in lab tests, although these aren’t things they do in the wild, it shows they are very intelligent creatures. Their very strong beak can, which is the only solid part of their body, can tear apart their prey’s defence, such as shells, to eat the food inside. The saliva from their beaks can paralyse their prey when they jump on them, so they can’t get away. It can also protect them against any possible threats.
Population
The population of Giant Pacific Octopuses is unknown but only 2 of 57 000 octopuses live to maturity due to high pollution level in the waters were they live and they are fished for bate and for human food.
The Giant Pacific Octopus is an unbelievable creature and they should be saved in the wild! These amazing octopuses are very smart, huge, and very adaptable and should be noticed as one of the most incredible animals in the ocean!