150 



EAST COAST MARINE SHELLS 



dislodgement from some solid object to 

 which It has become fastened. The color 

 changes of the body are significant and 

 denote the emotional changes which take 



Fig. 54 

 Octopus, a At rest, b Swimming, f Funnel 



place when the animal is disturbed or at- 

 tracted by food. It is possible for the 

 Octopus to escape detection by assuming a 

 color which harmonizes with its environ- 

 ment. The pigment cells connect with the 

 optic nerves so that what the animal sees 

 results in a reflex action suited to the 

 battle for existence. 



The head is large, arms long and 

 more or less webbed. There is considera- 

 ble variation in the size and length of the 

 arms in the different species. They are 



very voracious and exceedingly active 

 animals. The eggs are deposited on 

 seaweed or in cavities of dead shells. 

 The chestnut-brown ink which is dis- 

 charged for a smoke-screen is charac- 

 teristic and well known. Viewed in 

 the dark the animals are slightly 

 phosphorescent. In the male Octopus 

 the right arm is more developed than 

 that upon the opposite side and is 

 used for breeding purposes. 



GENUS OCTOPUS Lamarck 1798 



OCTOPUS VULGARIS Lamarck. In this 

 species the body is small, the arms 

 very large and imequal in length. The 

 over-all length is often around S feet. 

 Widespread in Atlantic; Med- 

 iterranean; Red Sea; Pacific 



OCTOPUS RUGOSUS Bosc. Body purse- 

 shape, back granular, rough, with a 

 deep ventral groove; color violet- 

 brown, white iinderneath, brown lines form- 

 ing network on sides of arms. Length about 

 8 inches. 



Confirmation of the presence of 

 these two species in east coast waters is 

 desired. 



North Carolina to Florida; warm 

 seas elsewhere 



I 



