Dive Into Your Imagination

Do you know what octo means? In Latin, octo means eight. Many species in the ocean have Latin names for identification purposes. Count the eight tentacles on this coral polyp. How many do you see? That is right, EIGHT! Eight tentacles on the polyp helps us identify octocoral colonies.

Octopus use camouflage to protect themselves on the reef. They also change the color of their skin to communicate with one another. Watch this video and see if you can always spot the octopus!

What five senses do you have? We can see, touch, taste, smell and hear the world around us. Members of the cephalopod family, octopus have eight arms with two rows of suckers they use for feeling.

Humbug Damselfish are some of my favorite fish that live on the reef. When you see them in action, you will understand why. I think they are funnier than any cartoons! They are small fish, when full grown they are just bigger than the size of a 25 cent piece and everything wants to eat them. They make their homes in hard table-top corals. Watch them as they dance above the reef

These flourescent orange fish, Garibaldi, live off the west coast of North America. Garibaldi are California's marine state fish. They are one of the largest members of the damselfish family growing up to nearly one foot long. By damselfish standards, they live a long time too, up to 25 years! The territorial male damselfish spends his life growing an algae nest to attract female Garibaldis. Garibaldi fish feed on shrimp, crabs and plankton in the water column. In order to grow an algae nest, he must defend his territory from herbivores, the vegetarians of the sea. Herbivores like to eat algae!

Cuttlefish are not fish, they are cephalopods. Go on try to say it: se-fe-le-pods and members of the mollusk family. Do you know any other cephalopods? Squid, octopus and the prehistoric chambered nautilus are all in the same family as cuttlefish, kind of like cousins. Squid, octopus and cuttlefish have no external shells for protection like other molluscs. They are giant blobs of protein and everything wants to eat them! Want to see more cephalopods?