Some of the world’s most stunning creatures might be living right nearby without us noticing them. But when we do spot them, most of us can’t help but share their beauty with the world. That’s exactly how one cephalopod became an instant celebrity on the net.
Staff working at the NAD Lembeh Resort in Indonesia filmed a female blanket octopus swimming and showing off its beautiful iridescent membrane. The video went viral with over 76k views and brought attention to this unusual (not to mention mesmerizing) species.
Dear Pandas, you’re in for a treat because blanket octopi are jaw-droppingly interesting. So scroll down and read on.
More info: NAD-Lembeh.com | Facebook | YouTube
Check out this awesome video featuring a blanket octopus
“The world can be rough. Politics, viruses, natural disasters. So here is a female blanket octopus to remind you that this planet is still a pretty amazing place. You’ve got this,” the resort wrote an inspirational description beneath their YouTube video. Bored Panda reached out to the NAD Lembeh Resort in the Lembeh Strait for further comments about their viral clip.
Only females have the mesmerizing iridescent membrane
National Geographic explains that these colorful octopi get their name from the “sheets of webbing that stretch between some of their arms.”
“When threatened, they stretch their arms out, creating a blanket-like silhouette meant to frighten would-be attackers away,” National Geographic writes.
It’s only blanket octopus females that look so fabulous: unfortunately, nature didn’t give the males 6-foot-long rainbow-colored membranes. What’s more, males are less than an inch long: they’re around 10k times smaller than females. And the males’ short lives end right after they mate.
A cynical person would complain about inequality and that the Underwater Matriarchy is ‘oppressing’ poor blanket octopus males. However, the fact is, blanket octopus females die shortly after laying their eggs. An optimist would point out that there are much worse ways to go out than right after love-making or creating a new generation of cephalopods.
Another interesting thing about blanket octopi is that the females’ ‘blankets’ can break off. So divers sometimes spot these ghostly iridescent sheets floating without its owners.
Blanket octopi are also tougher than human beings in some respects. For instance, they’re completely immune to the stinging cells of the Portuguese man o’ war jellyfish whose stings are known to be lethal in some cases. Deep Sea News writes that female blanket octopi “rip off” the tentacles off these jellyfish and “uses them like little octopus nunchuks. Beautiful and well-versed in underwater ninjutsu. In other words—perfect.
The octopus charmed the internet
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