The Dumbo octopus, a sea creature resembling Disney’s 1941 character Dumbo, this octopus
has a prominent ear-like fins above each eye. Belonging to a group of Octopusus know as
umbrella octopuses the dumbo has webbing between their arms, when spread out looks like an
umbrella.
The average life span of the dumbo of 3 to 5 years, most species of Grimpoteuthis live
at depths of at least 9,800 to 13,100 ft or 3,000 to 4,000 meters with some living as
far as 23,000 feet or 7000 meters below the surface of the water which is the deepest
known depth for any octopus to live.
Being among the rarest Octopoda species out there these are found in New Zealand, Australia,
Monterey Bay, Oregon, Philippines, Martha's Vineyard just south of Cape Cod, Papua New
Guinea and Azores these islands in the middle of the Atlantic.
The largest dumbo octopus ever recorded was 5.9 feet or 1.8 meters in length and weighed
13 lbs or 5.9 kilograms. They prey include crustaceans, bivalves, worms and copepods.
Sharks and predatory cephalopods are their biggest threats, they don’t have an ink
sack and therefore, they change colors and size due to their chromatophore cells that
help protect themselves from predators.
Some color changes can be red, white, pink, brown, or they become an invisible color so
that they can blend in with the ocean floor. Whilst it appears that the large fins on the
side of the head are propelling the creature, it is actually a siphon, pushing water out
the back, creating propulsion. The fins are in fact primarily used for stabilization and
steering. Movement of the arms can be used to help the animal move in any direction.
The arms permit the animal to crawl along the seafloor, to capture prey, lay eggs and
explore. Dumbos hover above the seafloor, searching for food. Prey is captured by pouncing
on the target, which then is swallowed whole. It is also interesting to know that contrast
to other octopuses, dumbo octopuses do not produce ink. This makes sense considering
the fact that their habitat is a deep, dark place in the ocean. Instead of ink sacs, dumbo
octopuses take advantage of a strand-like structure on their suckers to help them sense
the surrounding environment as well as looking for food.
Now for this episode’s riddle, “I can run but not walk. Wherever I go, thought follows
me close behind?”
Would seeing one of these with your own eyes be something to add to your bucket list? Share
your thoughts. Why not check out another episode here and until the next one have a good one.