Common Octopus

Photo: Susanne Spindler · CC BY-NC-ND

Common octopus are among the most active and visible species on and around King of the Sea, with multiple individuals denning in the hull cavities by day and emerging at dusk to hunt crabs, hermit crabs, and bivalves across the sand plain surrounding the wreck in highly active feeding sorties that can last the entire duration of a night dive. They are keystone invertebrate predators on Atlantic sandy substrates, controlling crab and mollusc populations that would otherwise over-graze algal and sessile invertebrate communities, and their dens — identified by the middens of empty shells and crab carapaces piled outside — create micro-habitat for small fish, shrimp, and juvenile urchins seeking refuge near the entrance. Their lifespan of only 1 to 2 years means the individuals encountered on any given dive are the product of recent local spawning, reflecting the health and productivity of the surrounding reef in real time.