Common Sydney Octopus

Interesting Info

• The common Sydney octopus is found along the eastern and southern coasts of Australia, from southern Queensland to Tasmania and South Australia and parts of southern Western Australia.
• They are usually a reddish-brown colour with a white underside. They have the ability to change their skin colour and texture in a matter of seconds to blend in with their surroundings, hide from predators, or communicate with other octopuses.
• The common Sydney octopus is a predator that feeds on a variety of prey, including crabs, lobsters, and fish. They use their arms to grab their prey, and their beak-like mouth to crush and tear it apart.
• Octopuses have three hearts and blue-green blood that is copper-based, unlike human blood which is iron-based.
• Common Sydney octopuses are solitary creatures, and only come together to mate.
• The common Sydney octopus typically breeds between May and August, with females laying up to 100,000 eggs in protected areas and guarding them until they hatch. Once the eggs hatch, the baby octopuses, or hatchlings, are planktonic and float freely in the water column for several weeks before settling on the ocean floor.
• Common Sydney octopuses are able to navigate mazes and solve puzzles in laboratory settings, demonstrating their advanced cognitive abilities. They are capable of learning from experience, and are known to exhibit behaviours such as tool use and social learning.
• Their lifespan is relatively short, being between 2-3 years in the wild, and up to 5 years in captivity.