Red octopus, Octopus rubescens

Few creatures appear as other-worldly as octopuses. One of many puzzling
postures red octopuses (Octopus rubescens) assume involves periscoping
their eyes like this.

    "Shale Island", Monterey Bay, California
    February 11, 2006






I find the rectangular pupils of octopuses a little hypnotic. It's hard not to
assume some intellegence is at work behind eyes like these. While generally
considered nocturnal and inhabitants of sandy areas, red octopuses (Octopus
rubescens) such as this one are commonly seen during the day in areas with a
shale bottom.

    "Shale Island", Monterey Bay, California
    April 9, 2006






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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