Common Octopus

Photo: Fotis Tsak · CC BY-NC

The geothermal fissures of Karaada provide ideal shelter and hunting grounds for common octopus, which den in the fractured volcanic rock and forage along the warm mineral seeps. They are active hunters of crustaceans and small fish, and divers frequently spot them mid-hunt in the rubble zones adjacent to the thermal vents. Their presence here is elevated compared with surrounding sites, likely due to reduced fishing pressure near the protected island.