A Washington state scientist is celebrating the discovery of what she believes is a seven-armed octopus, commonly found in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of British Columbia.
The creature was discovered in August when Pender Island resident Kathleen Durant was walking her dog and came across what appeared to be a large red jellyfish on the beach.
But then she saw the eye.
Hoping to find out what it was, she posted it on the Vancouver Island Field Naturalists Facebook page, where marine biologist Casey Cook chimed in.
“I could tell from the images – because they were very good images of at least some of the anatomical features of the animal – that this was not something native or at least known to be native,” Cook told CBC. On the island.
While some assumed it was a squid, Cook knew from the suction cups on its arms that it was an octopus—but what kind?
“I knew I had seen images of this animal that had recently lived in our ocean,” she said.
She began researching old articles, comparing images of different species to the image found on Pender Island.
Katherine Dobrowolski was initially scared when an octopus latched onto her leg at Ogdens Point in Victoria. Now they have an unbreakable bond.
And here is a perfect coincidence. Seven-armed octopus, or Galifron Atlanticusalso known as septopus and blob octopus.
According to Cook, the species actually has eight arms. In women, all eight arms are obvious. But males put their eighth arm, called the hectocotylus, behind their eye to protect it because this arm is used for reproduction.
Septopus is typically an Atlantic species, but several seven-armed octopuses have been spotted along the Pacific coast in recent years, Cook said.
According to 2020 report Whidbey News-Times In Washington state, what was likely a seven-legged octopus washed ashore on a local beach – very similar to the one found on Pender Island.
Cook said it was unclear how they could have ended up in these waters.
“The climate is changing, the currents are changing, and there are a lot of animals in the Pacific that may not belong here,” she said.
Hypothetically, they could have been brought here through ballast water or other means, she said, or perhaps they are native to the area and scientists have yet to figure it out.
“My understanding is that there isn’t a lot of research going on in the deepest parts of the Salish Sea,” Cook said.
She added that while the chances are slim, the octopus is a Pacific species, that doesn't mean it won't become a Pacific species.
“This specimen appears to be OK, it didn’t look injured to me,” Cook said. “As far as I understand, it was completely untouched.”
