The awe-inspiring day octopus, Octopus cyanea, also known as the big blue octopus, big red octopus, white spotted octopus, or the grass octopus.

It belongs to the family Octopodidae which is a very smart species of marine cephalopods. They are large, with bodies at least 6.3 inches wide, and tentacles/arms at least 31.5 inches long. They often appear brown/red in color, but have the ability to quickly change their skin color and/or texture to mimic their surroundings.

These octopus are diurnal and usually feed during the daylight hours. They create a lair in which they hide amongst the rubble. They feed on bivalves, fish, shrimp, and crabs. Their predators are moray eels, large fish, sharks, Hawaiian monk seals, and even dolphins. Since it feeds during the day, it has the ability to produce a variety of skin colors and textures that are similar to the ocean areas around them, allowing for it to camouflage itself. Their complex brains will send nervous impulses to their muscles, which allows them to change their appearance quickly, as they move over sand, coral, or rubble.

Octopus are soft bodied and include 8 tentacles/arms with suckers covering the underside of each. They are bilaterally symmetrical with 2 eyes. They have a hard beak/mouth in the center of all their tentacles/arms. Their soft bodies allow for them to squeeze into small spaces. They have a valve/siphon (visible in this photo as a “yellowish tube” below the eye), which allows for respiration and for propulsion by expelling water. They are a shallow water species, with a relatively short lifespan of 12-18 months in the wild.

This colorful image was taken off a West Maui Beach by the dedicated staff of Ocean Project Maui. They offer custom, private snorkel tours around the island of Maui, Hawaii. Each #COLORSOFTHEOCEAN image you see in our monthly blog, was captured during a private guided snorkel tour. These amazing images, as well as images above and below the water of the clients/supporters are included in every tour at no additional cost.

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