A mesmerizing new video shows a human encounter with a bizarre bright red octopus swimming over the Great Barrier Reef in northeastern Australia. The species is called Tremoctopus. It is a genus of cephalopod mollusks in the superfamily Argonautoidea, the only one in the family Tremoctopodidae. It includes 4 species that live in shallow to medium depths of subtropical and tropical ocean waters.
Marine biologist Jacinta Shackleton was able to capture the octopus, the video she posted on Instagram. The footage was taken near Lady Elliot Island in Queensland. They show a female Tremoctopus swimming underwater over the Great Barrier Reef. The octopus has an unusual appearance: a bright coloration and a protective cape like a superhero, Live Science writes.
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Publication from Jacinta Shackleton – Ocean (@jacintashackleton)
According to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, the nonprofit organization that works to protect it, Shackleton encountered a young female in shallow water, which is especially rare because these octopuses usually live in the open ocean. “The colors of her cape are incredible, and it was interesting to watch her move through the water,” Shackleton wrote on her Instagram account. Only female octopuses have cloaks that they can remove in a pinch to distract or startle predators – just like Marvel’s magical Doctor Strange cloak. They are also much larger than males and grow to about 2 meters in length. The average size of a male specimen is 2.4 cm in length.
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