Octopus

Photo: Hamadi Mwamlavya · CC BY-NC

Day octopus are the dominant octopus species in the Zanzibar Channel and are active during daylight hours as well as at night, giving divers genuine opportunities for extended observation. They move across the reef by jet propulsion and arm-walking, changing colour and texture within milliseconds to match substrate. At Patch Reef East they are commonly seen hunting crabs and small fish among the base of bommies.