Giant Octopus

Nom commun : Poulpe géant du Pacifique

Nom anglais : North Pacific Giant Octopus  

Nom latin : Enteroctopus dofleini

In the exhibition: the North Pacific Giant Octopus is one of the stars of the new exhibition by Nausicaa «Island Stories". Preferring the coastal reefs, giant octopus doesn’t go far from their lairs and don't often swim. On the other hand, their larvae that only measure a few millimetres when hatched mount towards the surface and drift with the currants for a few weeks. They cover sometimes large distances at sea before returning towards the depths to lead the sedentary life of their parents. This type of reproduction and dissemination has allowed this species to spread around many islands off the west coast of America For the giant octopus, the sea links the islands.

Geographical Distribution: coastal North Pacific.

Environment: it lives at the sea bottom up to a depth of 750 m.

Food: carnivore, essentially crustaceans but also fish and shellfish.

Reproduction: the octopus is oviparous. The female only reproduces once. Before laying, they clean the ceiling of their den before hanging their eggs (20,000 – 100,000) which they lay in clusters. They protect their eggs during 5 to 8 months (depending on the temperature) until they hatch. During this period, they don't eat and siphon water on the eggs to clean and aerate them. Exhausted, they generally die shortly after the eggs have hatched.

Size: on average, they measure 3 m (record: 9.60 m) with a weight of 50 kg (record: 272 kg).
Source: http://marinebio.org/species.asp?id=60

Threats and protection measures: no indication on the IUCN Red List. 
http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/search

Story by the handler: the North Pacific Giant Octopuses at Nausicaa like solving puzzles, and learn very quickly how to unscrew the lid of a jar or lift a latch to get to a treat. The handlers must continually offer them new games and the octopuses wait impatiently for playtime.

In the context of the biodiversity: the giant octopus is one of the biggest cephalopods that exists, it's followed by the giant squid. It excels in the art of camouflage: it can change colour and even shape so as to blend in better with the landscape. It also changes its colour according to its mood.  When it is threatened, the giant octopus squirts a cloud of purple ink and is propelled vigorously by the reaction.The octopus, is a mollusc that swims, this allows it to have larger hunting grounds than other molluscs.Like other cephalopods, the North Pacific Giant Octopus is a very intelligent animal. Research has shown that octopuses can learn by experience because they have a memory.

Services rendered to man: octopuses (like other cephalopods such as cuttlefish and squids) are eaten by us; their flesh is rich in proteins and low in fat. In 2007, more than 4.3 million tons of cephalopods were fished. 
Sources: FAO (ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/012/i1013t/i1013t.pdf) et M. APFELBAUM, M. ROMON, M. DUBUS. Diététique et nutrition. Ed. Masson, 7ème édition, 2009, p 295 (http://books.google.fr/books?id=luPdsv9xWc0C&lpg=PA295&dq=cephalopodes%20dietetique&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=false)

As predators they play an important ecological role.

Because their faculties are close to vertebrates, cephalopods offer rich possibilities for research especially in medical science. The most interesting area is cerebralisation, the behaviour and capacity for learning; there are others relating to anesthesia, their ink (pure melanin), the venomous properties of certain for pharmacology, etc. 

For example, the axone of cephalopods is currently being studied so as to understand the evolution of the development of the nervous system.
http://www.genoscope.cns.fr/spip/-Sepia-officinalis-.html

From the same species but a different family, the most famous octopus in 2010 was Paul who predicted the results of the World Cup. 
http://www.lemonde.fr/sport/article/2010/07/12/paul-le-poulpe-a-toujours-raison_1386697_3242.html