Starry night octopus
Callistoctopus luteus
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Mollusca
- Class
- Cephalopoda
- Order
- Octopoda
- Family
- Octopodidae
- Genus
- Callistoctopus
- Species
- Callistoctopus luteus
The starry night octopus (Callistoctopus luteus) is a nocturnal octopus with a deep red-orange body scattered with bright white spots, like stars in a night sky. When disturbed it can flush even darker red, making the white spots stand out further.
It has a slender body and long arms, with a total length that can reach around 60-90 cm. During the day it hides in holes and under rocks, coming out after dark to forage over sand, rubble and reef for crabs, shrimps and small fish, often probing crevices with its long arms.
The species ranges across the western Pacific and is found in the Philippines, where night divers regularly meet it hunting on black sand, and its glowing spots make it one of the most photogenic octopuses of the night.