Spanglers Scuba icon
100% Dolphin approved scuba lessons and underwater photography
100% Dolphin approved scuba lessons and underwater photography
Octopus cyanea (Day Octopus)
Scientific name: Octopus cyanea

Taxonomy: Kingdom Animalia → Phylum Mollusca → Class Cephalopoda → Subclass Coleoidea → Superorder Octopodiformes → Order Octopoda → Suborder Incirrata → Superfamily Octopodoidea → Family Octopodidae → Genus Octopus

Common name: Day Octopus
Locations: Hawaii, Indo-Pacific
Group: Marine LifeInvertebratesOctopuses

The day octopus is, unsurprisingly, more active during the day. Note the manybar goatfish in some pictures; they often hang around octopus, and are a good way to find them before you're so close the octopus hides under a rock.

At night they hide in their burrows, and block themselves in with rocks.

When they feel threatened, they can release a cloud of ink. Please don't squeeze the octopus; the octopus needs that ink to defend from real predators.

They can change color and texture very quickly. These shots were taken just a few seconds apart:

Octopus cyanea (Day Octopus)
Octopus cyanea (Day Octopus)
Octopus cyanea (Day Octopus)

As were these:

Octopus cyanea (Day Octopus)
Octopus cyanea (Day Octopus)

Other images:
Octopus cyanea (Day Octopus)
Octopus cyanea (Day Octopus)
Octopus cyanea (Day Octopus)
Octopus cyanea (Day Octopus)
Octopus cyanea (Day Octopus)
Octopus cyanea (Day Octopus)
Octopus cyanea (Day Octopus)
Octopus cyanea (Day Octopus)
Octopus cyanea (Day Octopus)
Octopus cyanea (Day Octopus)
Octopus cyanea (Day Octopus)
Octopus cyanea (Day Octopus)
Octopus cyanea (Day Octopus)
Octopus cyanea (Day Octopus)
Octopus cyanea (Day Octopus)
Octopus cyanea (Day Octopus)
Octopus cyanea (Day Octopus)
Octopus cyanea (Day Octopus)
Octopus cyanea (Day Octopus)
Mating
Octopus cyanea (Day Octopus)
Mating
This website uses cookies. By closing this banner or continuing to view the website, you are agreeing to the use of cookies for this purpose, as detailed in our Privacy Policy.
Accept Cookies