What are some fun facts about the mimic octopus?

What are some fun facts about the mimic octopus?

Interesting Facts about the Mimic Octopus

• What’s Behind Its Name: It’s pretty obvious — to trick predators, they mimic the behavior of other marine animals, such as sea snakes, lionfish, eels, stingrays and jellyfish.
• Size: They are rather small, growing to an average length of 2 feet.

How many animals can a mimic octopus mimic?

15 different species
But the mimic octopus takes the deception a step further. In addition to just changing its color and texture, the animal will change the way it moves its arms to impersonate a variety of other marine species. It can “mimic” 15 different species (that we know of)!

How does the mimic octopus eat?

Feeding Behavior (Ecology) Because mimic octopuses, Thaumoctopus mimicus, are found in muddy river bottoms and estuaries, its diet most likely consists of small crustaceans and fish.

How long can a mimic octopus live?

The larvae drift as plankton until they mature, when they sink and begin life on the ocean floor. The mimic is said to live for only around 9 months, which must feel like a maternity!

How many eyes does a mimic octopus have?

The mimic octopus is a small eight-armed cephalopod that grows to about 60cm in length from the tip of its arms to its head. The male is significantly smaller in size than the female. It weighs about 0.5kgs. The mimic octopus has a globular head with short horns protruding over each of its two eyes.

How does the mimic octopus move?

The mimic octopus uses a jet of water through its funnel to glide over the sand while searching for prey, typically small fish, crabs, and worms. It prefers river mouths and estuaries, as opposed to reefs which are usually preferred as shelter by other types of octopus.

How many brains does the mimic octopus have?

The mimic octopus has nine brains. Each of its arms has a mini-brain to control it. It also has three hearts and blue blood.

How did the mimic octopus get its name?

The “mimicking miracle octopus” earns its weighty name. This new-to-science cephalopod, found in shallow waters of the Indo-Pacific, is a master impersonator, taking on the appearance and behavior of venomous or bad-tasting creatures to foil would-be predators.

How does the mimic octopus work?

To mimic a banded sea snake, the octopus tucks itself into a hole and sticks out two arms displaying black bands, and wriggles them about to replicated a sea snakes movement. It also imitates a Sole flatfish by flattening its body and pulling its arms flush against its body to resemble this poisonous flatfish.

How does a mimic octopus change colors?

The Mimic Octopus (Thaumoctopus mimicus) has a unique way of camouflaging. Rather than blending in with the seafloor, it changes its skin color and how it moves its tentacles to take on the shape of other sea creatures.

Why is the mimic octopus so special?

The mimic octopus is the only currently known marine animal to be able to mimic such a wide variety of animals. Many animals can imitate a different species to avoid or intimidate predators, but the mimic octopus is the only one that can imitate as diverse a range of forms in order to elude predators.

Where to find mimic octopus in the Philippines?

You will have the best chances to find them in Alor, Bali Ambon, Lembeh – Indonesia, Anilao, Dumaguete – Philippines)and Mabul Malaysia in shallow areas. How Does The Mimic Octopus Protect Themselves? By wisely selecting an animal to mimic so the predator around it, won’t bother. How Many Different Animals Can Mimic Octopus Imitate?

Do octopus mimic flounders?

Observed behavior. The mimic octopus of tropical Indo-Pacific are reputed to mimic up to 15 species of other local marine organisms. Mimicry of a local, abundant flounder was observed; nearly 500 episodes were analyzed. Both octopus species mimicked the shape, swimming actions, speed, duration, and sometimes the coloration of swimming flounders.

How do octopuses disguise themselves?

Octopuses are masters at flying under the radar, changing their coloration and texture to match their surroundings in seconds. The above octopus seen in the Bonin Islands near Japan in 2008. Like other mimics, the octopus changes its coloring to disguise itself.