Red octopus goes hunting for food
A red octopus searches for food among the crevices at the bottom of the sea in Puget Sound, Washington state.
According to the filmer Ed Gullekson, East Pacific red octopuses eat a variety of prey.
"In our area of Puget Sound they eat small crabs, shrimp, fish, clams, snails and just about anything small enough for their size to handle," he explains.
"Since they are only 20 inches across as an adult (the one in the video is adult size), their prey is also small. Shrimp are plentiful in our area and often provide a large portion of their diet. In the video you can see the arms moving from hole to crack to hole, checking for shrimp or small crabs. The octopus is not really put off by the diver or lights and continues his search."
He adds: "As a diver, I am delighted to see these small octopuses every time I see one. They often have their eyes up and are watching us even before we see them, which shows just how curious they are. Finding a red octopus immediately 'makes the dive.'
"(This one) let me follow for a couple of minutes."
According to the filmer Ed Gullekson, East Pacific red octopuses eat a variety of prey.
"In our area of Puget Sound they eat small crabs, shrimp, fish, clams, snails and just about anything small enough for their size to handle," he explains.
"Since they are only 20 inches across as an adult (the one in the video is adult size), their prey is also small. Shrimp are plentiful in our area and often provide a large portion of their diet. In the video you can see the arms moving from hole to crack to hole, checking for shrimp or small crabs. The octopus is not really put off by the diver or lights and continues his search."
He adds: "As a diver, I am delighted to see these small octopuses every time I see one. They often have their eyes up and are watching us even before we see them, which shows just how curious they are. Finding a red octopus immediately 'makes the dive.'
"(This one) let me follow for a couple of minutes."