Coconut octopus (Amphioctopus Marginatus) is a medium size cephalopod. In order to take shelter, coconut octopus uses abandoned half-shells of coconut and clams. Indeed, these octopuses are among the world’s smartest invertebrates.
There are dark brown veins-like lines running over its body. The edges of its arms are dark-colored while the whitish-blue tentacles (called suckers) makes a good contrast. In its eyes, there are yellowish-white wedges.
The body length of the coconut octopus is 8 centimeters. If arms are included, it becomes 15 centimeters in length. An arm span of a fully grown octopus can be as long as 50 centimeters.
Coconut octopus lays up to 100,000 eggs.
Coconut octopus is widely distributed across tropical waters of western Pacific as well as the Indian Ocean. Its range is found from southern Japan and all the way up to New Guinea and Australia. It is also present from South Africa to Australia.
It occupies muddy bottom
s and buries its body inside the sand, except the eyes.
The primary diet of coconut octopus consists of small fish, crabs, clams and shrimp. It forages at dawn and dusk.
Other Name: Veined octopus, Sand bird
