Marine biodiversity is far richer than what we encounter on land. One typical example with be Octopuses. There are several species of octopuses that can be found on planet Earth. Let us today learn 20 interesting Atlantic Pygmy Octopus facts and learn about their habitat, lifestyle and eating habits.
Atlantic Pygmy Octopus Facts: 1-5
1. Atlantic Pygmy Octopus (biological name: Octopus joubini) is THE SMALLEST species of octopus to live on this planet. It also goes by the name small-egg Caribbean Pygmy Octopus.
2. The maximum size they can attain after reaching adulthood is 5.3 inches. Of this total length, their arms take up 3.5 inches and the remaining goes to their mantle.
3. The weight of a fully grown adult Atlantic Pygmy Octopus is slightly more than 1 ounce.
4. Their camouflage capabilities are extreme and can change colors. Yes, changing color is their primary mode of camouflage.
5. Barring their camouflage capabilities they are usually whitish and have brown spots on their bodies.
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6. Their common habitat is Cayman Islands and they prefer warm water temperature.
7. They aren’t really great fans of pollution and usually avoid places that are heavily polluted. They can survive pretty well in fresh water too! Because of their repulsive attitude toward pollution, their natural habitat is gradually decreasing, thanks to us humans!
8. Atlantic Pygmy Octopuses are capable of defeating humans in a hide and seek game. They are too good when it comes to hiding. Thousands of them may be present at a place at a time but will simply go unnoticed because they will hide inside different objects or in crevices or use their camouflage abilities to blend into their surroundings.
9. The typical hiding places of these octopuses include clam shells, tin cans, bottles and other debris that can be found at the bottom of water. Once they get inside those hiding areas, they typically pull some sand around the entrance to make sure that they stay properly hidden.
10. Atlantic Pygmy Octopuses are extremely intelligent. They are also playful by nature.
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11. If they find an environment to be slightly unsuitable as habitat, they will usually solve those minor problems and tweak the area as per their needs.
12. They however are completely unsocial. They don’t like interacting with each other and prefer spending solitary lifestyle unless they need to mate.
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13. Atlantic Pygmy Octopuses reach mating maturity by the age of 6 months.
14. Females specifically secrete a special scent that indicates their availability for mating. Their mating season is usually between the months of March and April.
15. Their reproduction process is very weird. The males will give the females a sperm sac which enters the body of the female. Male octopuses wander away after giving their sperm sac and never return. After giving their sperm sac, males usually die within a couple of weeks.
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16. Females on the other hand will find a suitable place where they can lay their eggs. They usually lay thousands of eggs at once and these eggs are extremely small.
17. These eggs are fertilized using the sperm sac they receive. Fertilizing all the eggs using the sperm sac takes significant amount of time.
18. The new born babies are extremely small and weigh only 0.04 grams each. Despite being so small and newly born, they are developed enough to sustain their own life and can hunt on their own within hours after birth.
19. Reaching full adulthood usually takes 182 days and by the time the babies become fully grown adults, they weigh 30 grams each.
20. Atlantic Pygmy Octopuses are carnivores by nature. They feed on small clams and other small crustaceans. Their usual hunting format involves boring through the hard shells and paralyzing their victims with their poisonous saliva. Once the victims are paralyzed, they devour on them happily. These Atlantic Pygmy Octopuses are extremely picky about tastes. They develop liking for particular tastes very quickly and that’s the reason why they actively seek prey that will satiate their taste buds.