Octopus and Types of Predators
There are quite a few different types of predators out there that find Octopus to be the perfect meal. The location of the Octopus will affect the types of predators it has to contend with. The species of Octopus also affects it due to the different sizes of these animals.
Some of the most common predators include large fish, birds, and some types of whales. In some areas they have to worry about eels and dolphins. It seems that when the normal food sources for these types of animals are hard to find they will become more dependent upon the Octopus. With the reduction in the number of sharks and dolphins remaining those predators have become less of a problem for the Octopus.
More than 2/3 of all the offspring will become food within the first couple of weeks of their young lives. They are living at the surface of the water and that makes them extremely vulnerable. While more than 200,000 young can be hatched, a single predator can consume hundreds or thousands of them in a matter or minutes. The low survival rate is why there are so many young born.
The larger Octopus will put up quite a fight for their survival with these types of predators. That is why they will often be left alone unless there is really nothing else for these predators to consume. They don’t want to risk being in a confrontation with an Octopus. They can bite too which can release a powerful venom from their bodies. In fact, that is what they release to be able to consume their own prey.
The Octopus is one creature with an instinct to run when they feel they are in danger. They have a body that is able to fit into small spaces which makes it easier for them to hide when they need to. They can often get away from a predator by moving very quickly into one of these small areas. The predator generally won’t sit around and wait for them to come back out. Instead they will continue on their way trying to find other sources of food that are easier for them to grab.
The fact that they can release ink from their bodies is their other line of defense. This ink gives them time to get away from predators while they are trying to re-orient themselves. They have a gland that created ink and then they can release it instinctively when they feel stress. Sometimes predators can get too close though before they are able to release the ink and then it doesn’t protect them.
They also have the unique ability to change their body colors for camouflage, very similar to what the Chameleon can do. With this process they can go a step further by mimicking other animals in the water. They may try to act like an Eel, Lion Fish, or Sea Snake. It can be very comical to see them behave in such a fashion. Yet doing so has worked wonders for them in the water. It has allowed them to be left alone instead of a predator trying to eat them.
Even with all of these efforts though, there are plenty of times when they Octopus is just too slow for them to survive. They also don’t have the ability to hear so if they aren’t seeing a predator come their way it can be over before they know it. There has been plenty of observing the Octopus in their natural setting to see the balance of things and how predators are able to take control of them in a matter or seconds.