National Geographic Photographer & Filmmaker

Sand Octopus (Octopus kaurna)

Octopus kaurna, also known as the southern sand octopus, is an octopus native to the waters around the Great Australian Bight and Tasmania.

It has an arm span of up to 50 cm (20 in) with long, unusually thin tentacles joined at the base by webbing and studded with small suckers.

Like most octopuses, it can change shape and colour, and is often hard to spot, as it spends the day buried in the sand, preferring to venture out for food at night.

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Filename: Sand Octopus-1.tif
Copyright: Shannon Wild
Image Size: 1262x523 / 2.3MB; Sand Octopus Octopus kaurna sand octopus marine ocean aqua water orange studio on white white background isolated tentacles
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Octopus kaurna, also known as the southern sand octopus, is an octopus native to the waters around the Great Australian Bight and Tasmania.<br />
<br />
It has an arm span of up to 50 cm (20 in) with long, unusually thin tentacles joined at the base by webbing and studded with small suckers.<br />
<br />
Like most octopuses, it can change shape and colour, and is often hard to spot, as it spends the day buried in the sand, preferring to venture out for food at night.