Octopuses are a fascinating group of cephalopod mollusks that are known for their intelligence, their ability to change color and texture to camouflage themselves, and their uncanny alien appearance. There are over 300 species of octopus that have been identified, and they come in a stunning array of colors, patterns, and textures that help them blend into their surroundings to avoid predators. But which octopus species has the most vibrant and spectacular coloration? Let’s take a look at some of the most colorful octopuses to find out which one takes the rainbow cake!
Octopus cyanea – Day Octopus
The day octopus, Octopus cyanea, is a stunningly colored species that lives in coral reefs and shallow lagoons in the waters of Hawaii, French Polynesia, the Great Barrier Reef of Australia, and other Pacific regions. It grows to about 20 inches in length and has a Mantle (the body) that displays an incredible range of bright colors and patterns. These include red, pink, purple, blue, green, and yellow, often in spectacular, swirling designs. The intensity of the colors seems to vary between individuals. When startled or threatened, the day octopus can also display pulsatingdark brown splotches and stripes against a lighter background. This helps it startle predators and camouflage against the reef. The underside of the Mantle is typically white with purple and turquoise speckles. The day octopus can quickly change the colors and patterns on its skin to match its surroundings, making it extremely difficult to spot when it’s sitting against a brightly colored coral reef. So if you’re looking for a wildly colorful octopus, O. cyanea has to be a top contender!
Wunderpus photogenicus – Mimic Octopus
The Mimic Octopus, Wunderpus photogenicus, discovered in the tropical seas of Indonesia and Malaysia in the late 1980s, is absolutely astounding in its color-changing abilities. It grows to about 2 feet long and is able to almost instantaneously imitate the colors, patterns, shapes, and movements of a huge range of other marine animals. For example, it can flatten itself and swim like a flatfish, extend its arms to resemble a poisonous lionfish or sea snake, curl its arms and legs into a furry ball that looks like a jellyfish, and many other disguises. Its normal appearance is a light brown/cream color with white stripes and spots, but it can almost instantaneously take on vivid stripes, spots, or entirely different colors to blend seamlessly into its surroundings. The Fact that this octopus can so dramatically change its appearance to mimic other dangerous animals means it has to have incredible control over its color-changing chromatophore cells. There may be no other octopus with such a diverse range of colorful disguises.
Octopus Wolfi – Night Octopus
The Night Octopus, Octopus wolfi, is a nocturnal species that lives in the deeper waters off the coasts of northern Australia and New Guinea. It has some of the most striking and vivid blue rings and spots of any octopus. Normally gray or brown in color, when startled this golf ball-sized octopus flashes dozens of electric bright blue rings and spots across its Mantle, head, and arms. It also has striking white and black markings that resemble an eye, which may help startle predators. The vivid blue coloration is thought to be a warning signal that it may be venomous. The night octopus remains hidden in crevices and holes during the day, then comes out to hunt small fish and crustaceans at night, when its incredibly colorful displays can be seen by predators in the dimly lit ocean depths. For its flashy neon blue warning markings, O. wolfi is one of the most colorful octopuses in the sea.
Octopus hummelincki – Caribbean Reef Octopus
Native to the tropical coral reefs of the Caribbean Sea, the Caribbean reef octopus, Octopus hummelincki, is a beautifully colored species with a wide array of reds, browns, oranges, yellows, and even greens that it can display. Ranging from just 3-8 inches in length, this dwarf octopus has a knack for intricately patterning its skin with stripes, spots, and reticulations in complex designs that vary greatly between individuals. It can blend in incredibly well among the brightly colored corals and plants of its habitat. When alarmed, it tends to display vibrant reddish-orange coloration with bright white squares and circles against a darker brown background. However, it can show a vast array of bright colors and patterns depending on its surroundings. This invertebrate magician can also change skin texture to blend in, mimicking corals, algae, sponges, and more. The Caribbean reef octopus is certainly one of the most colorful in its vibrant environment.
Abdopus aculeatus – Algae Octopus
The Algae Octopus, Abdopus aculeatus, lives in shallow tropical waters in the Indo-Pacific region from Indonesia to Japan. A small species that reaches about 4 inches long, it has evolved to perfectly camouflage itself as different types of algae. At rest, it resembles Clumps of algae, with a greenish-brown mottled Mantle, often with yellowish spots that look like sunlight glinting through the algae. When swimming, it can rapidly change to look like stringy plants of green algae, waving its arms that are colored with yellow and dark brown bands to mimic algae stipes and blades. This incredible disguise makes it almost impossible to distinguish from its surroundings. Not only can it alter its colors, but its skin texture even becomes warty and bumpy like algae. While not the flashiest or most vibrant octopus, the algae octopus is perfectly adapted to blend into its surroundings and has awesome color-changing abilities.
Octopus chierchiae – Lesser Pacific Striped Octopus
The tiny Lesser Pacific Striped Octopus, Octopus chierchiae, lives in tidal pools and sheltered rocky areas from southern California down along the west coast of Central America. It has an adult size of only about 4-5 inches. This little cephalopod is famous for having strikingly beautiful vivid blue iridescent markings along its Mantle, head, and arms. These iridescent blue markings shine with an incredible metallic glow that stands out against the light brown background coloration. The vivid stripes and dots help make this species really visually distinctive. When threatened, it can make the blue markings disappear entirely, leaving it mottled brown all over for excellent camouflage among rocks and corals. The striking metallic blue markings combined with its ability to hide them at will definitely make the Lessor Pacific Striped Octopus one of the most colorful.
Octopus vulgaris – Common Octopus
Probably the most widespread and well-known octopus species, the Common Octopus, Octopus vulgaris, is found throughout the warm and temperate waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, from the tidepools to the open ocean. It grows to about 3 feet long and can display an incredible range of colors and textures to camouflage with its environment. It can appear mottled shades of brown, green, gray, and black; vivid red and orange; bright whites and silvers; and patterns of stripes, spots, and reticulations. It can even texture its skin from smooth to spiky. While other octopus species may have more vibrant or intense coloration, the common octopus certainly has the widest diversity of coloration and patterning you’ll find. This gives it an amazing ability to blend into any environment, whether it’s rocks, coral, algae, sand, or the open water.
Comparing the Most Colorful Species
To summarize, here are some of the octopus species with the most colorful and visually striking displays:
| Species | Color Highlights |
|---|---|
| Day Octopus | Spectacular red, blue, green, pink, purple patterns |
| Mimic Octopus | Incredible imitation of patterns & colors of other species |
| Night Octopus | Vivid blue rings & electric blue spots |
| Caribbean Reef Octopus | Diverse red, orange, yellow patterns |
| Algae Octopus | Excellent green and brown algae camouflage |
| Lesser Pacific Striped Octopus | Beautiful iridescent blue stripes & dots |
| Common Octopus | Huge diversity of pattern, color & texture |
While it’s hard to single out one overall most colorful species, some exceptional stand-outs are the Day Octopus for its incredible spectral displays, the Mimic Octopus for its wild imitation abilities, and the Lesser Pacific Striped Octopus for its metallic blue iridescence. But all of these awesome creatures display the wonderful diversity of coloration and camouflage capabilities octopuses have evolved to survive in habitats from coral reefs to the open ocean. Their ability to rapidly alter their appearance gives them an alien, otherworldly beauty that makes them truly fascinating animals.
Conclusion
Octopuses come in a huge variety of spectacular colors and patterns that help them camouflage and survive in the wild. Some of the most incredibly colored species are the Day Octopus with its swirling psychedelic displays, the Mimic Octopus and its uncanny impressions of other sea creatures, the Night Octopus with neon blue warning markings, and the Lesser Pacific Striped Octopus with its shining metallic blue stripes. But there are many other gorgeously colored octopus species found throughout the world’s oceans. Overall, octopuses are some of the most colorful and visually striking animals on our planet, thanks to specialized pigment cells called chromatophores that allow them to change color, pattern, and texture at will. Their alien beauty and color-changing abilities make them truly amazing animals.
