Also known as the Curled octopus (due to its often tightly curled arms when its resting) or the horned octopus. Octopus belong to the taxonomic group, the cephalopods, consisting of octopus, squid and cuttlefish. You can tell this species apart from the common octopus because this species has one row of suckers along its arms, instead of two.

Behaviour

Like most cephalopods, when threatened they will release a dark inky fluid from their ink sac. The fluid makes the water dark which confuses and disorientates predators allowing the octopus to escape from danger. The curled octopus is an active predator, feeding mainly on crustaceans, molluscs and other invertebrates as well as fish. The colour is predominantly red-brown dorsally and white ventrally but species are able to change colour quickly to match their background.

Size

Around 50 cm length.

Status

Common.

Distribution

All around Scotland.

When to see

All year around.

Facts

• The word octopus derives from the Greek word for ‘eight-footed’.
• They have three hearts, and 9 brains!
• When feeding on crabs, the curled octopus immobilises its prey by puncturing its eye or boring the shell carapace and injecting toxins into the body of the crab which paralysis it.