CARIBBEAN REEF OCTOPUS | BELIZE DIVING
Nick Barker
What did the octopus say to the conch? You taste sooo good! Engaged in an everyday battle on the reef here at Turneffe, the Caribbean Reef Octopus (Octopus Briareus) usually hunts at night but does sometimes hunts by day feeding on all kinds of shellfish including shrimp, crab and lobster. The conch is a real favorite and a big meal for this octopus we spotted on one of our recent dives. Being a super intelligent cephalopod, octopi remember things and are known to avoid places where they last encountered an enemy. They can disguise themselves as algae or even coconuts to avoid detection. A female octopus can lay up to an amazing 200,000 eggs but will not be around to see the minute versions of herself because she will die before the eggs hatch. She does, however, defend the eggs for the rest of her days attacking anything that goes near her nest! Total commitment from mom!