Marine Life in Gozo: Octopus

The octopus is an extremely bizarre animal, comparable to an Alien. This remarkable master of disguise is among the most intelligent of all invertebrates and this intelligence is shown through unique and complex behaviour, astonishing anyone that is lucky enough to encounter them.

The Octopus calls every ocean in the world home, with some 300 species roaming the world’s deep water, coral reefs and rocky coasts. Here in Gozo you are likely to see the Common Octopus (Octopus Vulgaris), or on rare occasion, most likely in the night, the White Spotted Octopus (Callistoctopus macropus).
The Octopus belongs to the Cephalopod family, along with Cuttlefish and Squid. It ancestor was much smaller and had a hard shell. They are part of the Mollusk Phylum, which is a group of animals which are usually slow, simple and soft bodied with hard shells. However, around 140 million years ago the evolved to lose this hard shell becoming much more nimble and agile, but vulnerable.
Due to this vulnerability they were forced to develop other ways to protect themselves and evade predators. This evolution has resulted in some of the most fascinating features of any animal on planet earth!

It is well known that Octopus are true masters of disguise. They have multiple abilities which allow them to escape from the many predators they face.
First of all is the ability to squeeze into extremely small spaces. Other than the small beak they have to kill prey, the Octopus has no hard parts. This means that the body is incredibly fluid and malleable, allowing them to squeeze into unimaginably small spaces. As long as the hole is bigger than its own eyeball they will fit. This is obviously advantageous as their hard-bodies predators are unable to access these nooks and crannies, keeping the Octopus safe from harm.
Another remarkable gift they possess is the ability to change colour. Octopus can change colour extremely quickly. They have a 200 millisecond camouflage reaction time, the fastest of any animal. This unique skill is due to Chromatophores, tiny organs speckled across the skin which initiates the colour change at will. They are filled with pigments of Red, Yellow, Black or Brown. They can easily and instantly create patterns like bands, stripes and spots to blend in with the environment seamlessly.
Should they need to create different colours and effects then layers of Iridophores and Leucophores contain reflective tissues, using light to add to their already amazing colour palette.
Not only can they change colour, but also texture. Octopuses have Papille, a structure on the surface of the skin which is used to create bumps and ridges on demand. The combination of colour and texture change means that the Octopus can blend in perfectly with almost any environment they find themselves in.

With such a colourful appearance it is surprising that the Octopus is in fact colour blind! Instead they rely on light sensors in the skin, working in sync with the large and complex brain in order to make such changes.

It is this brainpower and nervous system that make the Octopus truly incredible.
Octopuses possess half a billion neurons in the body. To give you an idea what that means, it is basically the same amount of neurons as Dogs and a little more than Cats. Humans have around 100 billion.
However, Octopuses nervous system is working very differently, with only 1/3 of these neurons in the brain. The rest are found in the eight arms. This means that the Octopus can, in a sense, think with its arms. They gather an incredible about of information with the arms, which is something so alien to us as humans. Information can bypass the brain entirely. This means that the arms are basically thinking for themselves. This is also why they are able to analyse and react to the environment to rapidly.

Cephalopods are likely the first species on Earth to develop intelligence. It is incredible to consider the fact that life here on earth has managed to create intelligence in 2 completely different forms.
It is well studied and clear evidence suggests that they are able to show learning in all forms: short-term, long-term, special awareness and object perception.
What is even more impressive is that they manage to show examples of forward planning. One great example of this is the ‘coconut carrying Octopus’. The Octopus has been known to take shelter if they know that there will not be shelter in the location they will go to. This allows them to rest under cover whenever they need to. This is an amazing example of intelligence as the Octopus must imaging and plan for future events, having to use great physical effort to achieve the goal and stay safe.

We are just starting to understand these incredible creatures. It is always a magical experience to have an encounter, which can sometimes be very interactive.
The best time to see Octopus in Gozo is in summer and the later part of the year. Come and join us this year to see these wonderful creatures.