IMG_6369 Reef octopus, or wheke (Macroctopus maorum) In late autumn and early winter, once breeding is finished, mature octopus die. This often coincides with cold, frosty nights, which leave dead octopus to wash ashore along the harbour's edge, where they are fed upon by crabs and gulls. Macandrew Bay, Otago Harbour *
DSC_4821 Reef octopus, or wheke (Macroctopus maorum) detail of octopus beak. The beak is the only hard part of an octopus body. Located on the lower side of the body, the beak is made of the same material, keratin, that a bird’s beak and our fingernails are made of. Octopus use their beak to crush crabs and molluscs that they feed on. Challis Point, Otago Harbour *
DSC_5454 Hutton's Octopus (Octopus huttoni) of the 42 species of octopus in NZ, only a couple are commonly encountered. The small fist-sized Hutton's octopus is sometimes found in rock pools, as are juvenile Common octopus, however as common octopus grow, they move into deeper water further out on the reef. Otago Harbour
