We’re maximizing our baby cephalopod time today with this baby octopus! This larval octopus was caught during ocean monitoring efforts with the Applied California Current Ecosystem Studies program in Cordell Bank and Greater Farallones national marine sanctuaries. Have you ever seen something so adorable?
Look closely and you can see small spots. Those are cells called chromatophores, which will help the octopus change color and camouflage itself as an adult!
[Video description: A small translucent spotted octopus swims in a tray of water.]
For those who feel so touched by a noodly appendage and wants to touch back, @franzanth‘s preposterous quick squid sketches are now available from 252MYA shop.
IT’S HAPPENING Y’ALL
Oh hey it’s Black Friday and for every purchase over $20 you’ll get a pack of six prehistoric animal stickers! Only valid for today!
Because of their adaptive abilities — rapid growth, short lifespans and flexible development — cephalopods are sometimes called “the weeds of the sea.” And it seems like that might be serving them well.
According to study published in Current Biology cephalopod abundance has increased since the 1950s. The reason for this growth is not yet clear, but it maybe that their adaptability has allowed them to thrive in a changing climate while other ocean dwelling populations suffer. Study author Bronwyn Gillanders says that figuring out the reason for cephalopod abundance may tell us a lot about “how human activities are changing the ocean.”
PiraticOctopus 