Octopus an odd find for beach walker
RARE ON-LAND SIGHTING SAFELY BACK IN SEA
EVERYONE recognises an octopus but the “geniuses of the marine world” are rarely encountered.
So Bethan Vaughan Davies struck lucky when she stumbled across one on the beach at Nefyn in Gwynedd.
She shared her discovery through these magnificent pictures posted on the North Wales Bird and Wildlife Sightings Facebook group.
The octopus, which Bethan says had a body “no bigger than a tennis ball”, was safely returned to the water.
She said: “My passion for nature, wildlife and photography took me down to Nefyn beach on Sunday morning to an amazing encounter with an octopus.
“It was a beautiful creature that was changing colour from bright red to a very pale pink.
“It was out of the water and was not very big. A lovely gentleman passing with his dog put the octopus on a flat stone and put it back in the water.”
Frankie Hobro, director of Anglesey Sea Zoo, said the fascinating creatures are the “eight-armed Einsteins of the sea” but aren’t often found by people.
Sharing some interesting facts, she said: “The word octopus comes from the Greek, ‘oktopus’ meaning ‘eight foot.’
“Octopuses are molluscs, so surprisingly their slimy next of kin includes clams, snails and slugs.
“Indeed, octopuses are proven to be capable of planning and reasoning.
“Octopus facts make reality stranger than fiction.
“They have three hearts: one that circulates blood round the body and two that pump through each of the gills.
“Freakishly, they have blue blood as they use an oxygen-carrying molecule in their blood called hemocyanin which contains copper.
“But, most impressively, they have nine brains – a central one which controls their nervous system and a small brain in each of their eight arms.
“Our own native species the curled octopus, also known as the lesser octopus, is found everywhere around the British Isles.
“Here at the Anglesey Sea Zoo, we keep the tank chilled to ensure our mini polymaths stay cool when the sea water we pump in directly from the Menai Strait increases in temperature during spring and summer.
“We feed them live crabs and give them plenty of hiding places and obstacles for constant stimulation.
“Unfortunately for our visitors, a happy octopus doesn’t make a great exhibit as they spend much of the day hiding in their lair, only being active early and late in the day.
“But patience most definitely pays off and, when the activity occurs, it is well worth waiting for.”
But the downside for these geniuses is that they are fast growing and shortlived, with a typical lifespan of just one to two years.
“After reproduction, rather tragically it’s game over for octopuses,” Frankie said.
“So it’s life in the fast lane for these ingenious prodigies of the marine world.”