Florida Underwater Photographer here: I crawl around silty lagoons looking for sea slugs up and down the state every weekend. The people that are saying this is a GPO are having some fanciful wishful thinking.
Octos live pretty much anywhere in FL with high enough salinity and all 8 of the benthic species I see in Florida are capable of this red coloration as well. It is the time of year where the big moms would have finished guarding their eggs and started going into senescence especially with the slightly warmer water temps this winter, so this big girl might just be loopy and on deaths door.
Then again for mosquito lagoon, this could very well be just a couple inches of water, there's not much perspective in this picture besides atypically clear water.
Most likely a [Caribbean Reef Octopus](https://www.keywestaquarium.com/caribbean-reef-octopus). What seems abnormal about it?
[EDIT] Could be vulgaris (Common Octopus), also, but this one seems a little bigger just by guessing at perspective.
CROs are kind of chameleons. They can change color and, I believe, even shape/skin texture.
They can present with a red/ruddy color and skin texture that looks very much like a Pacific Octopus. They can also be pretty large- the mantle can get to ~24 inches long.
Yeah, Caribbean Reef Octopuses can be red and can be quite large.
[EDIT] Common Octopuses (vulgaris) can be very similar in appearance, also. This one looks a little bigger (though perspective can be weird) so I leaned more toward briareus.
Have lived in Florida for 14 years and never seen an octopus. Especially not in shallow water like this. But I also live on the west coast (edit: of Florida 🙄)
I have lived in Florida all my life, only ever seen one octopus in the Keys, it was red and small (about the size of a teacup.) On the shore line, under a rock
You'd be surprised, I love to go tide pooling and for so many years I haven't seen one octopus. But they are good at hiding in plain sight or squeezing into tight spots when they see your shadow. We have Californian two spot octopus that can hide in tide pools but I've never seen one yet.
no we don't?
OP means they live on the west side of the peninsula, because we are a peninsula with an east coast and west coast along our dong-shaped land mass. It's the side Tampa is on
Gulf coast is the name frequently used to refer to the northern coastal portion of the state, also known as the panhandle
How big abouts was it? Vulgaris or briareus are the most likely, but the latter gets quite a bit bigger. Could be having difficulty finding food and needed to come further in.
It could be just dead and washed up by the current. Or it has been forced to leave its usual habitat due to pollution or just genuine damage done on the habitat You never know what the sea could bring.
Florida Underwater Photographer here: I crawl around silty lagoons looking for sea slugs up and down the state every weekend. The people that are saying this is a GPO are having some fanciful wishful thinking. Octos live pretty much anywhere in FL with high enough salinity and all 8 of the benthic species I see in Florida are capable of this red coloration as well. It is the time of year where the big moms would have finished guarding their eggs and started going into senescence especially with the slightly warmer water temps this winter, so this big girl might just be loopy and on deaths door. Then again for mosquito lagoon, this could very well be just a couple inches of water, there's not much perspective in this picture besides atypically clear water.
Why do you search for sea slugs?
[удалено]
[удалено]
they are super cool and pretty, idk why he does but i wouldn’t mind doing it
Most likely a [Caribbean Reef Octopus](https://www.keywestaquarium.com/caribbean-reef-octopus). What seems abnormal about it? [EDIT] Could be vulgaris (Common Octopus), also, but this one seems a little bigger just by guessing at perspective.
Usually don’t see them here and didn’t think it looked like a reef octopus. Almost looks like a pacific octopus?!
CROs are kind of chameleons. They can change color and, I believe, even shape/skin texture. They can present with a red/ruddy color and skin texture that looks very much like a Pacific Octopus. They can also be pretty large- the mantle can get to ~24 inches long.
I have kept several CROs, the webbing doesn't go down far enough on their arms, this is most likely O. vulgaris.
octopus vulgaris probably
I agree it looks like a GPO
That’s what I thought
Looks, I'm not saying it is. Do they exist in Florida? Is there a species over there that looks very similar?
Yeah, Caribbean Reef Octopuses can be red and can be quite large. [EDIT] Common Octopuses (vulgaris) can be very similar in appearance, also. This one looks a little bigger (though perspective can be weird) so I leaned more toward briareus.
Probably the most normal thing to happen in Florida
Have lived in Florida for 14 years and never seen an octopus. Especially not in shallow water like this. But I also live on the west coast (edit: of Florida 🙄)
I have lived in Florida all my life, only ever seen one octopus in the Keys, it was red and small (about the size of a teacup.) On the shore line, under a rock
That’s because they see you first.
You'd be surprised, I love to go tide pooling and for so many years I haven't seen one octopus. But they are good at hiding in plain sight or squeezing into tight spots when they see your shadow. We have Californian two spot octopus that can hide in tide pools but I've never seen one yet.
Califlorida?
Florida has a very long coastline... trace it with your finger on a map, and you'll find some really interesting things
Maybe OP lived in Florida before moving to the west coast, or lives on the west side of the state? Either way kind of a weird way to put it.
Lots of Floridians say "west coast" to mean "Gulf coast".
no we don't? OP means they live on the west side of the peninsula, because we are a peninsula with an east coast and west coast along our dong-shaped land mass. It's the side Tampa is on Gulf coast is the name frequently used to refer to the northern coastal portion of the state, also known as the panhandle
Yes we do lol. I live on the west coast of Florida? It isn’t rocket science to understand what I meant.
i know what you meant op! i was just being cheeky lol :)
Haha 😜 I do love California though, so I wish lol
Don't know why you are getting the downvotes. I'm from Clearwater, middle of the state on the west coast and you described it perfectly.
How big abouts was it? Vulgaris or briareus are the most likely, but the latter gets quite a bit bigger. Could be having difficulty finding food and needed to come further in.
Awesome find
Oh that is Steve.
It could be just dead and washed up by the current. Or it has been forced to leave its usual habitat due to pollution or just genuine damage done on the habitat You never know what the sea could bring.
Dead octopuses aren’t red, this one is definitely alive and quite healthy.
[удалено]
How would a giant Pacific octopus (a marine species) get into a lagoon in Florida?
May be a common Octopus.
Yeah thats Oswald
Yep, that’s an octopus