Day octopus

Photo: Hamadi Mwamlavya · CC BY-NC

The large-spot or day octopus is one of the most intelligent invertebrates on the reef, hunting during daylight hours — unlike most octopus species — by using sophisticated camouflage and mimicry to approach prey. At Kinondo they are reliably found in the rubble zone at 18 to 22 m, where they maintain small dens surrounded by shells and coral fragments from previous meals. Their colour-changing ability involves thousands of independently controlled chromatophore cells and can produce rippling textured patterns in under a second.