WHATSTHATFISH
Octopus & squid

Wonderpus Octopus

Wunderpus photogenicus

Also known as: Mime Octopus, Mimic Octopus, Wunderpus

LCLeast ConcernIUCN Red List, 2019
Adult
@fishx6 · Lembeth Resort, Indonesia · June 20061 / 6
01

Overview

Found singly, on sandy bottoms, occupying burrows in deep sand, over coral and rocky reefs.
Indo-West Pacific - Indo-Malayan Archipelago

This wonderful Octopus is found on sea floors often buried in the sand with just the eyes showing.
The Octopus will copy the colour, shape and movement of other sea creatures either to deter predators or to attract prey.
He has been observed changing shape to imitate crabs, flounders, jellyfish, lionfish, mantis shrimp, sea anemones, sea snakes, sea shells, sea stars and stingrays.

Octopus make their homes in holes in the reef or bury in the sand.
They can often be found by the tell tail debris outside the holes.
Octopus feed by grabbing their prey with their tentacles or by spreading their skirt (the webbing between their tentacles) over the reef and hoovering up underneath.
They have a beak for biting their prey, the bite quickly paralyses their prey.
Some of the smaller Octopus are venomous to humans.

02

How to identify

COLOURS
Pattern
stripes
Body shape
tentacles

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

03

Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Indo-West Pacific
  • Country only · 6
LIVES IN

Found singly, on sandy bottoms, occupying burrows in deep sand, over coral and rocky reefs.

04

Adult photos 6

05

Discussion

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    ALL STAGES
    FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

    Deep dive

    Taxonomy

    1. kingdomAnimalia
    2. phylumMollusca
    3. classCephalopoda
    4. orderOctopoda
    5. familyOctopodidae
    6. genusWunderpus
    7. speciesWunderpus photogenicus Hochberg, M. Norman & Finn, 2006

    SourcesWoRMSWikipedia

    06

    More in the family

    Octopuses (Octopodidae)