Guardian Nature School Team Contact Blog Project Noah Facebook Project Noah Twitter

A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife

Join Project Noah!
nature school apple icon

Project Noah Nature School visit nature school

Mimic Octopus

Thaumoctopus mimicus

Description:

As if a testament to this animals extraordinary camouflage and mimic abilities, it was only discovered in 1998. It mimics the physical likeness and movements of more than 15 different species, including sea snakes, lionfish, flatfish, brittle stars, giant crabs, sea shells, stingrays, flounders, jellyfish, sea anemones, and mantis shrimp by contorting its body and arms, and changing colour. Even more incredible, the mimic may decide which animal to impersonate depending on local predators. For example, when the octopus was being attacked by damselfish, the octopus was observed to appear as a banded sea snake, a damselfish predator. The octopus impersonates the snake by turning black and yellow, burying six of its arms, and waving its other two arms in opposite directions.

Habitat:

Sandy bay.

Notes:

Easily confused with the Wonderpus (Wunderpus photogenicus), the Mimic is easily distinguished by a consistent white line bordering it's arms.

Species ID Suggestions



Sign in to suggest organism ID

30 Comments (1–25)

Wild Things
Wild Things 11 years ago

Fantastic spotting! Congratulations Samantha!

Jacob Gorneau
Jacob Gorneau 11 years ago

Stunning octopus! Congratulations!

Congratulations Samantha!

SamanthaCraven
SamanthaCraven 11 years ago

Wow, I'm honoured. Thank you all! It was definitely a highlight of my year!

Maria dB
Maria dB 11 years ago

Congratulations!

MacChristiansen
MacChristiansen 11 years ago

Congratulations Samantha, well done

Gerardo Aizpuru
Gerardo Aizpuru 11 years ago

Congratulations Samantha :)

KarenL
KarenL 11 years ago

Congrats again Sam! This incredible mimic has been chosen as a runner up in the Best of 2012 Other category.

http://blog.projectnoah.org/post/3966428...
https://www.facebook.com/projectnoah/pos...
https://twitter.com/projectnoah/status/2...

KarenL
KarenL 11 years ago

Congratulations Sam, this spotting is featured in the Project Noah blog today! http://blog.projectnoah.org/post/3039027...

Blogie
Blogie 11 years ago

Hi Sam! Pls join our new mission: Mollusca.

http://www.projectnoah.org/missions/1214...

Carolina
Carolina 11 years ago

Sam, what a cool spotting!

Gerardo Aizpuru
Gerardo Aizpuru 11 years ago

Congratulations Samantha!
Grate spotting nice video!

CarolSnowMilne
CarolSnowMilne 11 years ago

Congratulations on a great photo series and video. Wonderful!

MeaganKeefe
MeaganKeefe 11 years ago

very cool. the coloration in your photo reminds me of the sea snakes in Borneo.

Liam
Liam 11 years ago

Nice! Congrats!

VivBraznell
VivBraznell 11 years ago

Congratulations on SOTD!

MaryEvans2
MaryEvans2 11 years ago

Congrats and what an awesome spotting!

rutasandinas
rutasandinas 11 years ago

Sensacional

LealikiKanoa
LealikiKanoa 11 years ago

Wow!!

induruh
induruh 11 years ago

Freaky!

LeanneGardner
LeanneGardner 11 years ago

Amazing! Congratualtions :)

Mark Ridgway
Mark Ridgway 11 years ago

Brilliant!

SamanthaCraven
SamanthaCraven 11 years ago

Thanks all - especially Yasser! Feel honoured.

Atul
Atul 11 years ago

congrats on sotd!

Sachin Zaveri
Sachin Zaveri 11 years ago

Congratulations Samantha Craven !!!
wonderful,

SamanthaCraven
Spotted by
SamanthaCraven

Puerto Galera, MIMAROPA, Philippines

Spotted on Apr 11, 2012
Submitted on Apr 14, 2012

Related Spottings

Wonderpus Octopus Mimic Octopus Occelated Blue-ringed Octopus/Mototi Octopus Mimic Octopus

Nearby Spottings

Lobster Claw Orchid Orange and Black Dragonet Estuary Seahorse

Reference

Noah Guardians
Noah Sponsors
join Project Noah Team

Join the Project Noah Team