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- Rural N.S.W. Australia
I am so excited about this news.
A Queensland marine biologist has come face to face with a rare rainbow-like species of octopus while snorkelling off Lady Elliot Island on the Great Barrier Reef.
Sightings of the blanket octopus are so rare it is believed to have only been spotted three times in waters off the island.
This latest encounter takes that tally to four.
Marine biologist and reef guide Jacinta Shackleton has been conducting research and diving around Lady Elliot Island for almost four years.
"I was just out on a bit of a snorkel [on January 6], we were looking for some manta rays and turtles," she said.
"We came across what I thought was initially a juvenile fish, with some really long fins, but as it came closer, I saw it was really colourful, like a bright red and bright orange, and realised it was a blanket octopus.
"This particular one had eye spots all over its blankets, which we think is a method to deter predators.
"I knew so little about them … I didn't even know whether it was a dangerous species, but I later learnt that it was, so it was lucky that we did keep a bit of distance.
"They're actually able to take stinging cells from other animals [like jellyfish] and then utilise those themselves.
"It was just really hard to take my eyes off it, it was so beautiful."
Full Story
A Queensland marine biologist has come face to face with a rare rainbow-like species of octopus while snorkelling off Lady Elliot Island on the Great Barrier Reef.
Sightings of the blanket octopus are so rare it is believed to have only been spotted three times in waters off the island.
This latest encounter takes that tally to four.
Marine biologist and reef guide Jacinta Shackleton has been conducting research and diving around Lady Elliot Island for almost four years.
"I was just out on a bit of a snorkel [on January 6], we were looking for some manta rays and turtles," she said.
"We came across what I thought was initially a juvenile fish, with some really long fins, but as it came closer, I saw it was really colourful, like a bright red and bright orange, and realised it was a blanket octopus.
She said the species generally spends its time in the open ocean, so to see it on the reef was "really special"."I was really, really excited and couldn't stop screaming into my snorkel."
"This particular one had eye spots all over its blankets, which we think is a method to deter predators.
"I knew so little about them … I didn't even know whether it was a dangerous species, but I later learnt that it was, so it was lucky that we did keep a bit of distance.
"They're actually able to take stinging cells from other animals [like jellyfish] and then utilise those themselves.
"It was just really hard to take my eyes off it, it was so beautiful."
Full Story