May 22, 2005

This red octopus (Octopus rubescens) is getting the best of a juvenile
wolf eel (Anarrhichthys ocellatus). It's a sure testament to the
octopus's success as a camouflage artist that it took me a good long time to
understand what was going on here. If I recall, the stream of consciousness went
something like "Huh, that's odd, why is that little wolf eel sticking its head
in a hole . . . and why is it assuming such an odd posture?". After a little
more inspection, "Hey, that wolf eel is eating an octopus!". It took quite a bit
more time to figure out who was really in control. In fact, I wasn't entirely
sure until after I separated the two participants, revealing the wound the
octopus had inflicted.

    "Shale Island", Monterey Bay, California
    May 22, 2005



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