Dumbo Octopus

Hello, this is Wild Suzhou. Today, we will talk about the Umbrella Octopus, which get their name from their appearance. They have webs of skin between their tentacles that make them look like little umbrellas. Umbrella octopuses are deep-sea creatures, which means that they are only found in the ocean’s deepest darkest parts. They have been found in the Pacific Ocean, in areas almost 4800 meters underwater. They will usually try to stay within 3 to 4 meters underwater and hover above the ocean floor rather than walking over it. One group of umbrella octopuses is known as the dumbo octopuses. The name Dumbo octopus came from a Disney film, in which one of the characters was an elephant named Dumbo. This group of octopuses has fins on the side of their heads, which look like an elephant’s ears. They have large heads, with seemingly short tentacles that, like all umbrella octopus species, have webs between them. The dumbo octopus can come in colors like orange, yellow, red, pink, white, brown, or sometimes invisible to blend in with their surroundings. Dumbo octopuses will feed on prey such as worms, crustaceans such as shrimp, shellfish such as clams, and plankton. To catch prey, they will pounce on top of it, then swallow it whole. Dumbo octopuses are not preyed on by humans, but these creatures are preyed on by sharks and other octopuses. For Wild Suzhou, I’m Ciana; thanks for listening and see you next time.