With a cape that would make Superman jealous, the largest sex discrepancy within the animal kingdom, and a penchant for stealing, the blanket octopus (Tremoctopus violaceus) is elusive, majestic and quite the daredevil.

If you know nothing about these open-water, flowing beauties, then read on for our top blanket octopus facts.

Why the ‘blanket’ octopus?

Let's kick off our blanket octopus fact file with an explanation of where they get their name from. Female blanket octopuses have webbing sheets between some of their arms that look like a cape. This evolutionary adaptation allows the female to appear larger than they are, helping them to ward off potential predators. As we just mentioned, this only applies to female blanket octopuses; the males don't have this, and we'll explain why later.

Where in the world can you find blanket octopuses?

Within the blanket octopus family (Tremoctopus violaceus), four known species are floating about in the world's oceans. The Common blanket octopus is found in Atlantic waters, including areas off western Africa, Europe and the Americas. Robson's blanket octopuses live in the South Pacific, particularly around New Zealand. The Indo-Pacific violet blanket octopus lives between Japan and Australia, in both the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Lastly, the Gelatinous blanket octopus is found in the Atlantic, from Madagascar to the southeastern United States.

Nomadic lifestyle

Blanket octopuses are found worldwide and enjoy a nomadic lifestyle in tropical and subtropical waters. While they hover near coral reefs for the promise of food, they spend most of their time floating in the open water. If they feel threatened, they tuck in their capes and descend to the ocean's depths, around 200 meters-but they mostly spend their time near the surface of the water.

Life span

Blanket octopuses don't have very long lives. Most only live between three and five years, depending on predators around them and on their reproductive cycle, but more on that later.

A very big difference between the males and females

One of our favourite facts about blanket octopuses is that they have the largest sex discrepancy within the animal kingdom. While the males remain small, measuring no bigger than a peanut, the females can grow to over six feet in length and weigh up to 40,000 times more than their male counterparts.

A penchant for stealing

Another amazing fact about blanket octopuses is that they're immune to the deadly sting of Portuguese man of war, a jellyfish-like creature that sails the open seas. Not only are they immune to this sting, but scientists have also discovered that blanket octopuses steal these tentacles to use as weapons against predators.

Opportunistic feeders

As open-water animals, blanket octopuses have a varied diet, snacking mainly on small fish, crustaceans and other pelagic creatures such as planktonic organisms. As they don't have permanent homes and prefer the open water, they're opportunistic feeders and have adapted to enjoy whatever prey they find floating within the open blue.

Tentacle tactics

Let's come back to that tentacle stealing for a moment. This is one of the best facts about blanket octopus: after having stolen the stinging tentacle, they'll wield it against potential prey, stinging them before eventually tucking in.

Brainy behaviour

Like all octopuses, the blanket octopus is remarkably intelligent. They're able to learn, recall and even mimic behaviours they observe from other animals. Interestingly, they also show different temperaments and behaviours when interacting with other animals. And if you're wondering how creative they are, just refer to the previous point.

Mating means the end

Ending on a rather sad fact about blanket octopuses, mating for the blanket octopus is a fatal process. Males use all their energy and resources to mate, dying soon after. Meanwhile, the female carries up to 100,000 eggs until they hatch, after which she sadly dies.

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