Apr 7, 2007

Not in the Wild, Thanks

I would love to see a tremoctopus in the wild. Of course, if I saw one floating over head I would assume it was some sort of netherworld creature come to claim my soul.

Or, if I had my head on straight, I would know that she had deployed her webbing to defend herself against a predator. Maybe a shark. Maybe I don't want to see one in the wild.


Photo source: UWPRESS.com
















Photo source: UWPRESS.com

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

God, those are just so pretty! Thanks for posting more pictures of them.

Anonymous said...

Don't care what anyone says, these things are gorgeous...

Denita TwoDragons said...

I want to learn how to scuba so I can dive with these beauties!

--TwoDragons

Anonymous said...

From Wikipedia:
"The male blanket octopus spends his existence drifting along waiting to meet with a female. If the male meets a female, he fills one of his tentacles with sperm and tears it from his body. He gives this sperm-filled tentacle to the female which she then uses to fertilize her eggs. Afterwards, the female leaves the male who floats away and dies."

That doesn't sound like fun :(

Jack Ruttan said...

They should sell ad space on that mantle. Then they could afford bodyguards.

I'm sure the tentacle and death thing is blissful if you're an octopus. :)

Raging Wombat said...

Ad space on tremoctopus webbing. I love it. I imagine it's hard to market deep sea creatures, though. Studies show that most are illiterate and don't have deep bank accounts to tap.

Anonymous said...

Somehow they are beautiful, but something in that webbing is... just wrong. And that is so disgusting.

Arachnophile said...

YAY! More super-'pus. I love those capes. Those are gorgeous shots. I so need to get my diving certif.

Jack Ruttan said...

Of course they've got deep bank accounts. What other kind?

My validation word is hineee, which is the first one that sounds like something.