MIMIC OCTOPUS

The Indonesian 'Mimic Octopus', ''Thaumoctopus mimicus'', is a monotypic species of octopus that has the uncanny ability to mimic several other sea creatures.
This octopus is up to 60 cm (2 feet) in length, with brown and white stripes or spots covering its body.
Living in the tropical seas of South East Asia, it was not officially discovered until 1998, off the coast of Sulawesi. Before that, divers who had seen the octopus mistakenly thought that they were seeing other common animals which the octopus was mimicking.
This octopus is able to copy the physical likeness and movement of more than fifteen different species, including sea snakes, lionfish, flatfish, brittle stars, giant crabs, sea shells, stingrays, jellyfish, sea anemones, and mantis shrimp. [1], [2] It accomplishes this by contorting its body and arms, and changing color.
Many octopus species are quite flexible when it comes to contorting their bodies. For example, one octopus the size of a volleyball actually squeezed its entire body into a soft drink can. [3]
If the mimic octopus has that same degree of flexibility, it would help to explain how they are able to impersonate so many different kinds of animals.
Although all species of octopus have the ability to change the color and texture of their skin, and many species can blend in with the sea floor and look like rocks, the mimic octopus is the first octopus species ever observed to impersonate other animals. [4], [5]
Based on observation, scientists think that the mimic octopus may decide which animal to impersonate based on which predator happens to be nearby. For example, when the octopus was being attacked by damselfishes, scientists observed that the octopus took on the appearance of the banded sea snake, which is a predator of the damselfish. The octopus impersonates the banded sea snake by turning black and yellow, burying six of its arms, and waving its other two arms in opposite directions, so they look like two banded seas snakes.
[6]
The mimic octopus is easily confused with ''Wunderpus photogenicus'', another recently discovered species. However, the Wunderpus can be distinguished by the pattern of strong, fixed white markings on its body.^[1]
The Toledo Zoo is the only zoo in the United States to currently exhibit the mimic octopus.

Contents

References

External links

References

1. Cephalopods: A World Guide, , Mark, Norman, ConchBooks, , ISBN 3-925919-32-5

External links

★ Captive Observations of the Mimic Octopus, ''Thaumoctopus mimicus''

★ TONMO.com Octopodidae Forum - includes mimic octopus discussions

★ National Geographic.com Article

★ Tom Tregenza's site featuring video of the mimic octopus in various guises

★ starfish with photos of the mimic octopus

★ Island Dream's photo

★ Norman, Mark D.; Finn, Julian; Tregenza, Tom (2001): ''Dynamic mimicry in an Indo-Malayan octopus''. Proceedings of the Royal Society, 268, p.1755–1758 2001 paper describing the discovery (PDF)

★ Norman, Mark D. & Hochberg, F. G. (2005): ''The "Mimic Octopus" (Thaumoctopus mimicus n. gen. et sp.), a new octopus from the tropical Indo-West Pacific (Cephalopoda: Octopodidae)'' Scientific description (Abstract)

★ Mimic and Wunderpus side by side pictures and ID tips

★ pharyngula.org article with still images and Quicktime movies