Octopus vulgaris-Χταπόδι μέσα σε θαλάμι!!!

A benthic, neritic species occurring from the coastline to the outer edge of the continental shelf(in depths from 0 to 200 m), where it is found in a variety of habitats, such as rocks, coral reefs, and grass beds.It is inactive in waters of 7°C and colder.
Throughout its distribution range, this species is known to undertake limited seasonal migrations, usually overwintering in deeper waters and occurring in shallower waters during summer. In the western Mediterranean, large mature or maturing individuals migrate inshore in early spring, followed later on by smaller, immature individuals. These two groups begin their retreat into deeper waters by August/September and November/ December respectively. Similar migration patterns are found in other sea areas.

Two spawning peaks per year can be observed for this species throughout its distributional range: in the Mediterranean and the Inland Sea of Japan, the first occurs in April/ May corresonding to the group migrating in shore in spring (most important in the Mediterranean) and the second in October, corresponding to the group migrating in autumn (most important in Japan); off West Africa, around Cape Blanc, the first spawning peak occurs in May/June and the second (more important) in September. Females may produce between 120 000 and 400 000 eggs little longer than 2 mm, which they deposit in strings in crevices or holes, usually in shallow waters. Spawning may extend up to 1 month. During the brooding period (25 to 65 days), females almost cease feeding and many die after the hatching of the larvae. The hatchlings are pelagic, but settle to benthic life after about 40 days at a minimum size of approximately 12 mm.
In the Inland Sea of Japan, common octopus reaches about 1 kg weight in 4 months; in the western Mediterranean it grows from 3 to about 20 cm in 17 months. A von Bertalanffy growth expression is given for the Mediterranean and eastern Atlantic populations by Guerra (1979).
Food consists of bivalves and crustaceans.Larvae and juveniles are preyed upon by albacore (Thunnus alalunga) etc., and adults by benthic finfishes.

ΠΗΓΗ : FAO
VIDEO BY:Leonidas Stavrou