The Andaman sea is home to many cephalopods such as octopus, squid and cuttlefish... making them pretty much a guaranteed sighting! Divers are often amazed by the Cephalopods super power of invisibility. We are sure they are around, but will you be able to spot them?
Here is a little list of the Cephalopds we most often see around the Andaman Sea...
Here is a little list of the Cephalopds we most often see around the Andaman Sea...
The Reef Octopus
Both in Thailand and Myanmar you can meet the big reef octopus, (Octopus cyanea) a diurne specie with an amazing camouflage ability.
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The 2 pictures above were taken only few seconds apart. The Octopus can change not only it's colour but also its skin texture in the blink of an eye to match the reef it is standing on!
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While their best way to defend themselves is to blend in, they can also spray a cloud of ink to surprise their predators. The dark ink create a diversion giving them time to escape...
Giant octopus usually prefer a rather solitary life but they can also be spotted in pairs during the mating season.
Giant octopus usually prefer a rather solitary life but they can also be spotted in pairs during the mating season.
The Cuttlefishes
Mating season for cuttlefish (Sepia pharaonis) is from November to January, and it's very frequent to witness some kinky business while diving Myanmar shallowest dive sites :)
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Often seen in pairs, it is not rate to see 3 or even 4 cuttlefish together during courtship...
Usually you see only one female being courted by several males.
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FUN FACT: some smaller males seeing their chance in battle against a larger male play a funny game! They act as a female to get closer to the "real female" and manage to discretely inseminate them before the alpha male notices!
Usually you see only one female being courted by several males.
​
FUN FACT: some smaller males seeing their chance in battle against a larger male play a funny game! They act as a female to get closer to the "real female" and manage to discretely inseminate them before the alpha male notices!
Pygmy Squids
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The pygmy squid, (Idiosepius paradoxus) hard to see due to its micro size (about 5mm) lives on coral reef and are to be seen at night, hanging on corals or floating away with the current.
They are the smallest kind of Cephalopod and also one of the cutest, don't you think?
They are the smallest kind of Cephalopod and also one of the cutest, don't you think?
Squids
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This pelagic kind of squid is usually seen in schools hanging in mid water. They usually team up in order to hunt cooperatively, using active communication!
​Do you want to know more about what we can see during our dive cruises?
You can read here our latest blogpost about the rays we most often see
And here is a page dedicated to Marine life in the Andaman Sea
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