2008/01/01 by Iván Sazima, Lisandro Bastos de Almeida · 3 citations
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Earth and Planetary Sciences · Environmental Science · #Cephalopods and Marine Biology #Marine and coastal plant biology #Marine and fisheries research
paper · doi:10.1017/s1755267206005458
openalex publication_date 2008/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/23
The legendary kraken, a giant cephalopod that emerged from the depths to attack ships and devour the sailors is reincarnated here in a miniature version. We describe an oceanic island-dwelling octopus (Octopus sp.nov.) preying on a sea bird, the brown noddy (Anous stolidus) in the tropical West Atlantic. While poised on a tide pool rim the bird was quickly seized by one or two of the octopus's arms and dragged underwater, where the octopus was lying in ambush. We suggest that this prey type hunting occurs occasionally, even if rarely documented. Catching birds may have originated from ambushing mobile and relatively large animals such as Sally Lightfoot crabs (Grapsus grapsus), one prey of octopuses hunting in tide pools at oceanic islands in the tropical West Atlantic.