The giant Pacific octopus is getting bigger and bigger and living longer than any other species of octopus. The size record is held by a specimen measuring 30 feet across and weighing over 600 pounds. The average is 16 feet and 110 lbs.
Source: Deep Marine Scenes
Life cycle
They live to about four years of age, with both males and females dying shortly after spawning. Females live long enough to be inclined to eat eggs comfortably, but they do not eat during this month-long incubation period, and often die soon after.
Camouflage
Giant Pacific octopuses have giant, bulbous heads and are often reddish-brown in color. However, like other members of the octopus family, they use special pigment cells in their skin to change color and texture, and can blend in with corals, plants, and rocks. has the most complex pattern.
Diet and scope
They hunt at night, living mainly on shrimp, clams, lobsters and fish, but are known to attack and eat sharks as well as birds, using their beak-like sharp mouths to puncture and shred the meat. They are distributed throughout the temperate waters of the Pacific Ocean, from southern California to Alaska, west to the Aleutian Islands and Japan.
Intelligence and Population
Extremely intelligent creatures, giant Pacific octopuses have learned to open jars, imitate other octopuses, and solve mazes in lab tests. Their population numbers are undetermined, and they do not currently appear on any endangered or vulnerable animal lists. However, they are sensitive to environmental conditions and can be subject to high levels of pollution in their range.
