''Octopus pallidus'', the pale octopus, is a species of octopus in
Oceania
Oceania (, , ) is a region, geographical region that includes Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Spanning the Eastern Hemisphere, Eastern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres, Oceania is estimated to have a land area of ...
.
Immediately after hatching, the pale octopus forages, primarily on
bivalves
Bivalvia (), in previous centuries referred to as the Lamellibranchiata and Pelecypoda, is a class of marine and freshwater molluscs that have laterally compressed bodies enclosed by a shell consisting of two hinged parts. As a group, bival ...
. At night it hides in rubble to surprise prey.
Female maturation is dependent on age as well as season. Both sexes can distinguish vertical from horizontal rectangles, and gradient greys from each other and uniform grey.
This species has been studied by scientists trying to determine octopus ages by stylets and pigment.
Gallery
File:Octopus pallidus.jpg, Diagram of Octopus pallidus
References
* Norman M.D. & Hochberg F.G. (2005) ''The current state of Octopus taxonomy.'' Phuket Marine Biological Center Research Bulletin 66:127–154
* Norman M.D., Finn J.K. & Hochberg F.G. (2014). ''Family Octopodidae.'' pp. 36–215, in P. Jereb, C.F.E. Roper, M.D. Norman & J.K. Finn eds. Cephalopods of the world. An annotated and illustrated catalogue of cephalopod species known to date. Volume 3. Octopods and Vampire Squids. FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes
ome, FAO 4(3): 353 pp. 11 pls.
Molluscs described in 1885
Octopodidae
{{Octopus-stub