Range: Temperate waters worldwide Habitat: Tidepools, deep ocean, dens in rocks and sand, and more Size: Up to 15 feet (4.6m) long; 80 pounds (36kg) or more Diet: Fish, fish eggs, clams, shrimp, lobsters and crabs Threats: Lingcods, sharks, seals, sea lions, whales, and humans Life span: Up to five years

Transcript:

Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing giant octopuses. For more facts on awesome animals, be sure to subscribe! Today’s critter was a suggestion from Keaton Blackman - let’s see what there is to learn! When most people hear “giant octopus”, they think of the giant Pacific octopus, however, there are at least three other species in the giant octopus genus, so today we’ll aim to discuss all giant octopuses.

These massive molluscs have earned their title as giants because they can reach more than 15 feet (4.6m) from arm to arm and weigh more than 80 pounds (36kg) - and that’s not even mentioning the largest recorded octopus who was a giant Pacific octopus that was nearly 30 feet (9m) long and weighed 600 pounds (272kg). That kind of explains why these boy boiis are the progenitors of sailors’ tales of eight armed demons attacking ships. But if you really want to have your mind blown, you’d look at the size of a baby giant octopus. Their eggs are approximately the size of a rice grain, and when they hatch giant octopuses are less than half an inch (13mm) in length. And I thought the entire cast of Harry Potter had a major growth spurt!

Giant octopuses live in temperate waters throughout the world, and the species tends to determine the location in which they’re found. They’ll live in tidal pools close to the ocean’s surface to further than half a mile (800m) down depending on the species. For the most part, giant octopuses live in dens that are formed through natural structures such as undersea rocks or constructed in the sand. They’ll stay in these dens throughout the day and come out at night to hunt. Giant octopuses eat fish, fish eggs, clams, shrimp, lobsters and crabs.

If you can imagine a dragon den with bones piled up outside the entrance you would be close in envisioning a giant octopus’ domain. They actually leave the hard shells of their meals in piles called middens outside their dens - eh, at least they’re tidy! Typically, giant octopuses stay to themselves, but when it’s time to mate, they’ll bunk up together. Males will mate with as many females as they’re able to, but females will mate usually just once in their life. That’s because giant octopuses almost always die after rearing children. Males don’t help in tending the eggs, but females will spend more than half a year ensuring the safety of her eggs to the point of not even eating. The eggs hang in clusters that kind of look like grape bundles from the ceiling of her den, and once they hatch, she’s too weak to continue living. It’s a sad truth of many octopus species that their lives tend to be rather short.

Baby giant octopuses will spend time floating through the ocean before settling to the bottom and growing up to begin the whole process all over again. One of the easiest ways to identify a giant octopus apart from its size is its frilly mantle. The mantle is the “head” part of an octopus and giant octopuses have mantles that almost look wrinkly! Giant octopuses also have plenty of suction cups adorning their arms, though these octopuses can be difficult to spot because they can change color. They use this color-changing camouflage to blend in with their surroundings.

They can let out a cloud of ink as a distraction to quickly swim away from predators, as well. Predators to giant octopuses include large fish like lingcods, sharks, seals, sea lions, whales, and even humans. Thankfully for the giant octopuses, they’re super smart and have even been recorded solving many types of puzzles in captivity, so hopefully they’ve adapted to keeping themselves off the dinner plate!

For more facts on giant octopuses, check out the links in the description. We want to hear what you think of these creatures in the comments! Thank you for watching, and be sure to give a thumbs up on Animal Fact Files!