The
octopus is also caught by a traditional lure made of a large cowry shell that
resembles a rat (isumu). That came about due to an event that happened long
ago, as related in the Samoan legend about the octopus and the rat. It all started
with a sightseeing canoe trip on the ocean by an owl, a snail and a rat. Their
canoe started to sink, so the owl escaped by flying away, the snail sank with
the canoe to the bottom of the ocean (goto uga), and the rat tried to swim to
shore but he had a long way to go. He saw an octopus and called for help. The
octopus agreed and swam to shore with the rat on his head. When they got to
shore, the rat jumped off and thanked the octopus for saving his life and said
that he left a little present on the octopus’s head. When the octopus realized
that there was a rat dropping on his head, he became extremely angry and told
the rat, if I ever see you again, I’ll kill you. To this day, the octopus
is mad about this and is still looking for the rat.
There’s no
other reef animal quite like the octopus (fe’e). Although it looks
like a large, unprotected meal for some big fish, it is hardly defenseless.
The octopus is the “masters of disguise” for its superb ability
to become invisible by changing the color and texture of its skin to match
its surroundings. With its good eyesight and welldeveloped brain, it is probably
the most intelligent of all invertebrates. And if camouflage and quick wits
don’t suffice, it can either squeeze down very small holes or escape
by jet propulsion, leaving its calling card, an inky cloud that acts as a
decoy or smoke screen to momentarily confuse a predator while the octopus
vanishes.
The
octopus is a favorite food of local fishermen who often check particular holes
on the reef known to be good den sites for fe’e. Octopus are taken by hand
or spear and they account for about 5-10% of all the fish and invertebrates
harvested on our reefs. The drooping, pale gray octopus we see hung out for
sale along the roadside is a ghoulish remnant of this crafty animal.
The
octopus commonly seen locally is the reef octopus, Octopus cyanea, which
is mottled red-brown in color with a large spot beneath each eye. It typically
weighs 2-3 lbs. It is a mollusk, related to squid, snails, clams, but the octopus
lacks a shell and has eight strong arms covered with suckers. It breathes by
sucking water into its mantle cavity and over its gills; it then expels the
water through its funnel. If threatened by a predator, it can expel this water
forcefully, causing it to jet away.
Fe’e feed on crustaceans (crabs, shrimps, lobsters) and mollusks
(cowry snails) by creeping up on them. After pouncing on an unsuspecting prey,
the octopus holds it tightly with its suckers until it can bite the animal with
its parrot-like beak and inject a toxin to paralyze the prey. It may take its
meal back to the safety of its den (the reef hole it calls home), and that’s
why there are often telltale bits of shells around an octopus den. Mating occurs
year-round. The female lays her eggs inside her den and cares for them until
they hatch. She then dies. When the eggs hatch, out pop miniature octopuses
that are dispersed by water currents until they settle back onto the reef.
11. Master of disguise:
the octopus (fe'e)
Locked in eye
contact, we each wondered what the other was going to do. The octopus tried
to become invisible by changing its color, but I could still see his eyes,
and he knew it. Then a small distracting cloud of inky smoke appeared in his
direction and he was gone.