On Exhibit: Tentacles
limpets, black abalone, snails, clams, hermit crabs and small fishes
to 3 feet (1 m)
squid, cuttlefish, nautilus; Phylum: Mollusca; Class: Cephalopoda
central California to northern Baja California
A two-spot octopus spends most of the time hiding or searching for food on the seafloor. Using its arms and suckers, it can slowly creep or quickly crawl. But if it's in danger, the octopus may jet away into open water.
Glowing blue circular eyespots on each side of its head may trick predators and prey alike into thinking that the blue-eyed beauty marks are its actual eyes. Meanwhile the cunning two-spot octopus lives to see another night while feasting on a shelled morsel.
Octopuses are very sensitive to impaired water quality. Many species live in coastal waters that receive the toxic cocktail of runoff from industry, agriculture and municipal wastes.
Females tend their eggs continuously for two to four months until they hatch.