The Most Incredible Octopus You’ve Never Heard of: The Blanket Octopus

Blanket octopuses are unique marine creatures that never settle on the sea floor. They possess remarkable adaptations, such as the ability to unfurl a cape-like blanket and use man-of-war tentacles for defense. Males are significantly smaller than females and have a unique reproductive strategy involving a detachable sex arm. Females care for their eggs using a calcium carbonate rod. Despite their fascinating traits, much about their behavior remains unknown.

What is a unique trait of the blanket octopus that differentiates it from other octopuses?

• It has a hard shell.

• It wanders the open ocean.

• It lives on the sea floor.

• It cannot change color.

How does the female blanket octopus use its blanket-like appendage?

• To camouflage with the sea floor.

• To attract mates.

• To catch prey.

• To intimidate predators.

What unusual ability does the blanket octopus have regarding the Portuguese man of war?

• It can mimic its appearance.

• It can communicate with it.

• It can eat it whole.

• It is immune to its stings.

What is the primary reason for the extreme size difference between male and female blanket octopuses?

• Males need to be small to hide from predators.

• Females need to be large to lay eggs.

• Males are smaller to conserve energy.

• Males only need to focus on mating.

How does the female blanket octopus care for her eggs in the open ocean?

• She hides them in coral reefs.

• She attaches them to a seaweed.

• She constructs a calcium carbonate rod.

• She carries them in her mouth.