#haliphron atlanticus

[dailycephalopods]

Daily Cephalopod #72

[sitting-on-me-bum]

The seven-arm octopus (Haliphron atlanticus) was spotted in shallow water off Tongue Point in Washington state on Sept. 8.

(Image credit: Eric Askilsrud)

Seven-arm octopuses actually have eight arms like every other octopus.

[stymshots]

Something misnamed this way comes.

[pulsethebabyoctopus]

[herpsandbirds]

Seven-arm Octopus (Haliphron atlanticus), family Alloposidae, Salish Sea off the coast of WA, USA

This is one of the largest octopus species, with an estimated total length of 3.5 meters (11 feet) and a mass of 75 kg (165 lb)

This octopus does have 8 arms, but the hectocotylus (a specially modified arm used in egg fertilization) is coiled in a sac beneath the right eye, and is not easily seen.

This species is rarely seen by humans.

photographs by Eric Askilsrud (scuba.eric_⁠)

[uncharismatic-fauna]

Uncharismatic Fact of the Day

How many arms does the seven-arm octopus have? Despite it's name, this species (like all octopi) has eight! The eighth 'arm' is actually modified appendage called a hectocotylus that males use to fertilize the eggs of females. The hectocotylus is typically keept coiled in a sac under the males' right eye, making it easy to overlook when counting their arms.

(Image: A female seven-arm octopus (Haliphron atlanticus) by the Schmidt Ocean Institute)

If you send me proof that you’ve made a donation to UNRWA or another organization benefiting Palestinians, I’ll make art of any animal of your choosing.

[greatwyrmgold]

That's like saying a spider is an octopus, because it's wrong. Lots of things have eight limbs that aren't octopi, and some things with fewer than eight limbs are octopi. Exhibit A:

(Exhibit B is Haliphron atlanticus)

Octps

2 wng

2m

4l eh

Eigt

[mbari-blog]

Moment of zen with a seven-armed octopus. 〰️

Haliphron atlanticus, also known as the seven-armed octopus, has been observed by MBARI’s remotely operated vehicles less than five times in over 30 years. In this species, the male keeps the hectocotylized arm hidden so it appears to be missing, which is where its common name comes from. Researchers have often observed individuals of this species holding the bell of an egg-yolk jellyfish (Phacellophora camschatica) in their arms. ⁠

[arysafics]

haliphron atlanticus for @the100kinkmeme

When Clarke is forced to move in with a guy she’s never met, she’s relieved to find out he’s completely normal. Except months later she discovers he’s not as normal as she thought--he’s a shape-shifting tentacle monster.

rated e, ~4.4k words

(link in reblog)

[stymshots]

At the bottom of the world.

[herpsandbirds]

Tricker treat!

Happy SAMHAIN!!!

Seven-arm Octopus (Haliphron atlanticus), family Alloposidae, in the deep sea of the coast of southern California, USA

This is one of the largest octopus species, with an estimated total length of 3.5 meters (11 feet) and a mass of 75 kg (165 lb)

This octopus does have 8 arms, but the hectocotylus (a specially modified arm used in egg fertilization) is coiled in a sac beneath the right eye, and is not easily seen.

This species is rarely seen by humans.

photographs via: Schmidt Ocean Institute

[aasociacionpromocionoceanos]

Haliphron atlanticus, el pulpo de siete brazos

[typhlonectes]

Giant octopus wears jellyfish cape after it devours its owner 

By Maria Bolevich

An elusive deep-sea giant has been filmed with its prey for the first time. It turns out it eats jellyfish and other gelatinous animals.

The octopus, Haliphron atlanticus, was filmed swimming docked on top of a medusa jellyfish, with its beak devouring its innards, while the medusa’s sticky tentacles were still hanging out of its mouth. The researchers think it might even be using the jellyfish tentacles as a handy feeding implement.

Little is known about H. atlanticus, and the researchers who filmed it using remotely operated vehicles have only seen it three times in as many decades. Most other octopuses eat more substantial prey such as fish and crustaceans, so it is a surprise to see this large species eating jellyfish...

(read more: New Scientist)

images/video: Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Insititute

[montereybayaquarium]

Update from the deep sea!

Our colleagues at Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) have only seen the Haliphron atlanticus octopus three times in 27 years. 

Recently they spotted one carrying an egg-yolk jelly and made a discovery about this elusive species: It looked as though Haliphron had not only made a meal of the jelly, but was hanging onto it, perhaps for defense or for help in catching prey! 

[mbari-blog]

Mellow mornings with a seven-armed octopus 🐙 ⁠

⁠ Haliphron atlanticus, also known as the seven-armed octopus, has been observed by MBARI’s remotely operated vehicles less than five times in over 30 years. In this species, the male keeps the hectocotylized arm hidden, so it appears to be missing, which is where its common name comes from.⁠ ⁠ Researchers have observed individuals of this species holding the bell of an egg-yolk jellyfish (Phacellophora camschatica) in their arms. ⁠During these encounters, the octopus had apparently eaten most of the tissue that would have been hanging down from the bell, but the ring of jellyfish tentacles was intact. It looked as though Haliphron had not only made a meal of the jelly but was hanging onto it, perhaps for defense or for help in catching prey. Haliphron is a member of the family Argonautidae, and now four genera in the family have been observed having some kind of relationship with salps or jellyfish—living on, in, or with the jelly.

[currentsinbiology]

This deep-sea octopus is a jellyfish junkie

Jellyfish can be a menace to beachgoers and a threat to fisheries, but for some oceangoing species, they’re a meal. Even though jellyfish are mostly just blobs of low-calorie gelatin—think Jello minus the sugar—scientists are discovering more and more predators, from vampire squid to tuna, noshing on the tentacled beasts. Now, scientists are adding the giant deep-sea octopus Haliphron atlanticus to the list of jelly connoisseurs. Little is known about deep-sea food webs, so researchers using remotely operated submersibles in 2013 were excited when they spotted three of these mysterious creatures off California and Hawaii holding jellyfish remains in their arms (above; see the full video here).