Invertebrate Stereotypes - Octopus - 8

Man-eating monstrous, dangerous sea creatures

The man-eating monstrous Giant octopus who attacks and destroys ships. The Giant octopus has been a staple of sea folklore for centuries and has been featured in tales like The Kraken, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Mega Shark Versus Giant Octopus. Octopuses are also often portrayed as dangerous sea creatures. Ursula the Sea Witch in Disney's The Little Mermaid has octopus-like tentacles.

The octopus inhabits many diverse regions of the ocean, including coral reefs, pelagic waters, and the ocean floor. They have numerous strategies for defending themselves against predators, including the expulsion of ink, the use of camouflage and deimatic displays, their ability to jet quickly through the water, and their ability to hide. An octopus trails its eight arms behind it as it swims. All octopuses are venomous, but only one group, the blue-ringed octopus, is known to be deadly to humans.