Blue Whale in Costa Rica
October 30th, 2012
The oceans surrounding Costa Rica are abundant with diverse sea creatures. From eels to sharks, a large variety of animals can be spotted in the water. Octopus is a marine invertebrate that belongs to the family, Octopoda, a type of cephalopod mollusk. Acknowledged as the most intelligent invertebrates, octopuses have been a subject of interest for a very long time.
Scuba divers and snorkelers traverse the lagoons to gain a few looks of this interesting creature. In Costa Rica, Common Octopus (Octopus Vulgaris) is found, frequently sighted in the lagoons of Pacific Ocean. These octopuses are usually present around the depth of 65 feet; however, they are also often seen in much shallower and deeper parts. Like all other orders of octopuses, common octopuses bear four pairs of arms each with a suction cup. Their bodies are soft due to absence of skeleton which means that they have the ability to squeeze through narrow spaces. This comes handy when they want to escape from their predators. Within their body tissues, they contain Chromatophores that give them a capability of changing their colors according to their environment.The common octopus’s arms reaching the length of 1 meter long. Even though they are huge, their life span is quite short, an average of 3 to 5 years. The common octopus is highly productive. They can lay a large quantity of eggs, up to 100,000 of them. Octopuses are carnivorous species. Their prey includes fishes, shrimps, crabs, clams, scallops, and crustaceans. They are venomous but their poison is not deadly to the humans. Common octopuses are known to inhabit ocean floors, pelagic waters, and coral reefs of North Pacific Ocean.
Common Octopus in the Pacific Ocean of Costa Rica
Common octopuses are found in southern California, North America, southern Japan and Costa Rica. In Costa Rica, octopuses can be found in the regions of Guanacaste, Osa Peninsula, Curu Wildlife Refuge, Nicoya Peninsula and its towns Montezuma, Santa Teresa and Mal Pais, Tortuga Island, Bat Island and Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve Park. For scuba diving in Costa Rica, the best months are from December to May, when the sea waters are highly multifarious with octopuses, stingrays, sea-horses, eels, dolphins and angel fish. Guanacaste is located in the north-western side of Costa Rica. The ocean bordering the region is diverse with wildlife and has about 60 spots for diving. It is a great place to observe octopuses, and other creatures as well such as moray eels, manta rays, angel-fish, white-tipped reef shark and humpback whales. Numerous octopuses are found in Nicoya Peninsula. Montezuma, Santa Teresa and Mal Pais and other regions like Cabuya, Totuga Island and Tambor Bay are flourishing with common octopuses. Located on the southern part of Pacific Coast, Osa Peninsula is an isolated region which present as a perfect sanctuary for divers. In the clear ocean, schools of octopuses can be seen easily along with other marine life.
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Common Name: Octopus.
Type: Invertebrates
Order: Octopoda.
Size: Its arm span is up to 1 meter. Can vary.
Diet: Octopuses are carnivorous. They feed on fish, shrimps, clams, and crabs.
Average life span: 3 to 5 years.
Habitat: Oceanic water from pelagic water, coral reefs, and the ocean bed.
Range: Usually at the depth of around 65 m. It can, however, live in much shallower or much deeper waters. Found in southern California, North America, southern to Japan and Costa Rica.
References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_octopus