Octopus briareus

Octopus briareus is a species of octopus, which is a type of mollusk belonging to the order Octopoda. Octopuses are characterized by their eight arms, complex eyes, and a saccular body. They possess a pair of sharp, horny beaks and a radula for feeding.1

When threatened, octopuses can eject an inky substance, a mixture of melanin-based ink and mucus, to create a screen for escape. Some species' ink can also paralyze an attacker's sensory organs.1

Octopus briareus has large eggs, and upon hatching, the young resemble the adults and immediately adopt a bottom-dwelling lifestyle. This contrasts with species that have smaller eggs, where the juveniles spend time drifting in the plankton before settling on the seabed.2