Facts

Wunderpus photogenicus was officially seperated from the rest of the octopi in 2006!  That is only 8 years ago (Hochberg et al. 2006).

The white spots on each Wunderpus photogenicus are unique, similar to how each human’s fingerprint is unique. An illustration of these markings can be seen below (Huffard et al. 2008).

Wunderpus photogenicus is capable of mimicking a number of animal species including lionfish and sea snakes.  A “Wunder”ful way to stay safe (Hochberg et al. 2006).

Wunderpus photogenicus is prized by many aquarists, but it is not for the inexperienced handler.  It is a master of escape and unless contained properly, it may escape the aquarium and die (Practical 2010).

Unfortunaley these species do not do well in aquariums in general.  Most tend to only survive in captivity for a few days to a year.  The average lifespan in captivity is about 3-4 weeks (Hemdal 2007).

Wunderpus photogenicus is also not cheap!  They tend to range anywhere in price from $250 up to $500 (Hemdal 2007).

When it comes to Wunderpus photogenicus they tend to mate near the end of their lifecycles and it is not uncommon for them to die within days after mating / giving birth (Miske and Kirchhauser 2006).

Wunderpus photogenicus is commonly mistaken for another species of octopus, Thaumoctopus mimicus, but there are some distinct differences.  Take a look HERE to see some side by side comparisons or check out the photo on the right to see if you can tell the two apart!

Wunderpus photogenicus is the only member of the genus Wunderpus (Hochberg et al. 2006).

Wunderpus photogenicus is becoming so famous, it's showing up in news articles.

 

 

Go to the next page to see our References.

Go back to the Home page.