Mimic Octopus
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| Thaumoctopus mimicus Norman & Hochberg, 2005 |
The Indonesian Mimic Octopus (Thaumoctopus mimicus) is a species of octopus that has the uncanny ability to mimic several other sea creatures.
This octopus is up to 60 cm (2 feet) in length, with brown and white stripes or spots covering its body.
Living in the tropical seas of South East Asia, it was not officially discovered until 1998, off the coast of Sulawesi – before that, divers thought they were seeing other common animals which the octopus was mimicking.
This octopus is able to copy the physical likeness and movement of approximately seventeen different species, including sea snakes, lionfish, and flatfish. It accomplishes this by contorting its body and tentacles and changing color.
The mimic octopus is easily confused with Wunderpus (or Wonderpus), another recently discovered species that has yet to be formally described or given a scientific name. However, Wunderpus can be distinguished by the pattern of strong, fixed white markings on its body.<ref>Norman, Mark (2000). Cephalopods: A World Guide. Hackenheim, Germany: ConchBooks, 302-304. ISBN 3-925919-32-5.</ref>. A link at the bottom of this page shows pictures of the Mimic and Wunderpus side by side for comparison.
[edit] References
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[edit] External links
- TONMO.com Octopodidae Forum - includes mimic octopus discussions
- National Geographic.com Article
- Tom Tregenza's site featuring video of the mimic octopus in various guises
- starfish with photos of the mimic octopus
- Island Dream's photo
- Norman, Mark D.; Finn, Julian; Tregenza, Tom (2001): Dynamic mimicry in an Indo-Malayan octopus. Proceedings of the Royal Society, 268, p.1755–1758 2001 paper describing the discovery (PDF)
- Norman, Mark D. & Hochberg, F. G. (2005): The "Mimic Octopus" (Thaumoctopus mimicus n. gen. et sp.), a new octopus from the tropical Indo-West Pacific (Cephalopoda: Octopodidae) Scientific description (Abstract)
- Mimic and Wunderpus side by side pictures and ID tips
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