Hi everyone, Doa here. 👋😁
Today’s chapter is all about my recent encounter with—wait for it—an alien! Well, not exactly… but a creature that’s about as close to an alien as you can get in terms of weirdness and amazing abilities: the Octopus cyanea, also known as the Day Octopus!
This is actually the most common octopus species spotted here in Okinawa. Spotting one is relatively easy—they’re often found on the rocky sides of reefs. What makes them truly incredible is their ability to flash different colors and change the texture of their skin to mimic their surroundings.
They can appear as a smooth, inky black…
Or take on a spiky textured appearance with gradient patterns. It’s like watching a living “mood stone”!
When approached, the Day Octopus usually hides in the nearest hole or cave until it decides you’re not a threat. During our dive, my team and I were literally just 20 cm away from this individual—for a full 25 minutes! We stopped diving completely and spent nearly half an hour on the sandy bottom, simply observing this amazing creature’s behavior.
When frightened, the octopus will usually turn a pale white or gray and might release a burst of ink as a distraction before making its escape. (That didn’t happen to us, though—I’m so proud of my team for staying calm and respectful!)
Octopuses hunt by reaching their tentacles into rock crevices, then expanding their bodies over the reef like a cape to trap escaping prey. Once caught, they deliver a bite and inject a toxin to subdue it.
One of the most fascinating things? Can you see the fish always hanging around right next to this octopus? That is a Blacktip grouper or Epinephelus fasciatus by the scientific name.
The Day Octopus sometimes hunts alongside a coral grouper! It’s a unique form of cooperation: the grouper uses signals to indicate where prey may be hidden in the coral matrix and waits nearby while the octopus hunts, ready to snatch up any prey that slips past. It’s a perfect example of how different species can work together in the wild.
Thank you for reading! See you in another monologue! 🤗
