Long arm octopus

Macrotritopus sp.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Cephalopoda
Order: Octopoda
Family: Octopodidae
Genus: Macrotritopus
Species: Macrotritopus sp.

The long arm octopus is a delicate sand-dwelling octopus with a tiny body and very long, thin arms, often seen on night dives over open sand. Its arms can be many times the length of its mantle, giving it a spidery look.

Its body is usually only a couple of centimetres long, and it relies on camouflage and quick burying to stay safe. It can match the colour of the sand, raise small skin papillae, and sometimes holds its arms in shapes that resemble a flatfish or other animals. It hunts small crustaceans on the sand after dark.

Long arm octopuses are found on the soft sandy bottoms of the Philippines, and they are a favourite find on muck and night dives, where guides spot them stretched out across the black sand.