Caribbean reef octopus
Octopus briareus
Sighting evidence at Tarpon Cave, Corn Islands
Photo: Jean-Paul Cassez · CC BY-NC
The Caribbean reef octopus is a master of active camouflage, able to change skin colour and texture in under a second to match surrounding substrate. At Tarpon Cave they emerge at dusk to hunt crustaceans and small fish across the rubble patches flanking the cave entrance. Unusually among cephalopods, Caribbean reef octopus sometimes hunt cooperatively with small fish species, herding prey between them — a behaviour documented in Caribbean waters.
Evidence at this site
No confirmed records on file at this site
Caribbean reef octopus is listed as a curated species here based on historical reports.