Sunday, May 31, 2009

Cute Octopus Necklace on Ebay

This is like the octopus deal of the decade! I have seen this little guy floating around on the web for a while, but never for such a great price. I got this adorable necklace for only $7.99 from Ebay seller, Skorbee.


The seller was nice enough to combine shipping with the octopus bracelet I purchased as well - also a killer deal! Both items arrived exactly as described. Go get yourself some!

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Octopus Soap Dish from Etsy.com

This item is no longer available, and I wanted to feature it anyway because it's so beautiful!



Product Description:
Highfire stoneware octopus soap dish. The glaze is called seafoam green but it ranges in colors from blue to green to purple. I love the way the glaze turned out on this dish especially on the octopus. It is handbuilt and truly one of a kind. The glaze is lead free so it can be used for food service or as a spoon rest. The dimensions are 5" x 5" x 1 5/8" H.

Friday, May 29, 2009

Octopus Hand Towels

These octopus hand towels from ShanaLogic.com would be an adorable addition to any cephalophile's home!


Product Description:
Totally Tentacular! Everyone needs a little octopi in their lives! Lovely high quality soft towels with a fun cotton octopus embroidered on the center. Choose your favorite color to match your bathroom, bedroom or anywhere else that needs a little accent! $20

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Octopus Graffiti

I found this interesting bit of octopus street art at SeviGraffiti.Blogspot.com.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Monday, May 25, 2009

More Cute Octopus Plates from Target!

How did I miss these cutie-patooties the first time around? Available exclusively at Target Online. Set of 6 for $17.99.

Man, if only they had these last year when I was doing my wedding registry!

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Octopus Plate and Bowl Set from Target

Our favorite friend goes mainstream! Check out this super-cute octopus plate and bowl set from Target.com.


Unfortunately, it's not available in stores. Online only. 12-piece set for only $19.99...gotta' love Target.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Octopus Skateboards

After featuring octopus surfboards in a post last month, it only seemed fair to feature octopus skateboards too! Here are some of my favorite octopus skateboards I found while scouring the net for everything octopus:






Friday, May 22, 2009

Octopus Art from RedLabor.com

Red Labor is self-described as "two artists seeking escape thru collage, analogue and digital mixing, appropriation, remix, photography, and design". Yes, their art is just as interesting as their description.

The pictures below show off some of the octopus-inspired art from this talented duo.

"Octophant"

"Pink Tangles"

"Two Guys and an Octopus"

"Tentacle Wreath"

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Bottoms Up! Octopus Pint Glasses

These are the perfect addition to any cephalophiles kitchen or bar. Heck, they're even pretty cool for the casual octopus enthusiast. Each glass is $15 and there are shot glasses available too! Visit BreadandBadger.com to get yours.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Octopus Orgy!

Nothing like a little cephaolpod lovin' to brighten your day.


I found this at ScienceBlogs.com. If you're in the mood for a good laugh, visit the link and read the comments!

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Video: Sexy Octopus French Film

Ok, maybe the title was a bit misleading, but not too far off the mark. The video below is a scene from "Going Beneath the Surface Yo La Tengo: The Sounds of Science" by French filmmaker/inventor/scientist, Jean Painleve. Painleve narrates the video (which is in French) in a way that sounds, well, sexy. Go ahead and watch. You'll see what I mean...

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Video: Caribbean Reef Octopus

In the video below, you'll get to see the astounding camouflage abilities of the Caribbean Reef Octopus as it roams about its natural habitat. I chose this video in particular because you get to see the very distinct blue-green colored skin that the species is known for.

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Octopus Tiffany Lamp

I never much cared for Tiffany lamps until I saw this one.


Oddly, the Tiffany octopus lamp has twelve tentacles. That doesn't stop me from wanting one for my office.

Friday, May 15, 2009

Video: Octopus Camouflage

This video is an oldie but goodie and it very clearly demonstrates the octopuses unparalleled ability to blend in with its surroundings.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Species: Caribbean Reef Octopus


The Caribbean Reef Octopus dwells in the waters throughout the Western Atlantic, Bahamas, Caribbean and the coasts of northern South America. They are solitary creatures that tend to only come out to the reef and grassy seabeds at night when it's time to feed.

The most unique feature about the Caribbean Reef Octopus is the color of its skin. The Caribbean Reef Octopus, sometimes simply called the Reef Octopus, has a distinctive blue-green colour that becomes reflective under divers lights, and this makes them very easy to see when they are out feeding. Of course, like other octopuses, the Reef octopus can quickly change color using specialized cells in its skin known as chromatophores.

The body of a Caribbean Reef Octopus grows up to 12cm in length and arms that can reach around 60cm. Its arms are webbed, which is serves as a useful tool for feeding. The Reef Octopus often spreads its arms to turn its webbing into a canopy in which it can trap its prey. The Reef Octopus commonly feeds on crustaceans, bivalves, and small fish.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Octopus Pulp

Pulp magazines (or pulp fiction; often referred to as "the pulps") were inexpensive fiction magazines. They were widely published from the 1920s through the 1950s. The term pulp fiction can also refer to mass market paperbacks since the 1950s. But did you know that many of these fictional stories were about or featured octopuses?

Here are some images of my favorite octopus pulp covers:






Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Octopus Art by Alberto Cerriteno

I stumbled upon a very cool artist in my hunt for everything octopus. His illustrations remind me of Ren & Stimpy Pop art witha Mexican flair. Now what's not to love about that?


"Alberto CerriteƱo is a Mexican illustrator & designer who has lived in America for nearly four years now. Strongly inspired by urban vinyl toys, alternative cartoons, and the pop surrealism movement, Alberto CerriteƱo has developed his own very personal technique and style, having always present a delicate hints of traditional Mexican artistic influences in his management of rich textures and decorative patterns. These contrast strikingly with the blending of desaturated colors and ink, sometimes featuring a vintage coffee finish."

Visit AlbertoCerriteno.com to see what it's all about.

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Octopus Shoes from Etsy.com

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it's the day you've all been waiting for - it's the day that I give you octopus shoes! There's an Etsy shop featuring hand-painted octopus shoes!!!

Etsy seller, TheMittKicks is now selling hand-painted octo-kicks.


Product Description
Each pair of shoes are hand painted by myself using bright, contrasting acrylic paints, and sprayed with a clear matte finish sealant as well as a clear water & dirt resistant spray. Shoes used are plain white canvas by City Sneaks. Since each pair is hand painted, no two are EXACTLY alike, making each of them unique.

Right now I am only working with canvas styled shoes, but if you are interested in having this design on a Vans shoe, or in mens, please contact me for more information.

Also, please specify shoe size in order. Sizes 6-10 available for women. (***Please keep in mind that these particular shoes run a little large. For example, I wear a size 9 1/2 normally, but the size 9 fits better.***)

Any other customization requests or questions? Contact me and we'll talk!

$48 per pair

Friday, May 8, 2009

Video: Cuttlefish Eats Octopus!

Picture it: You're diving; you find your favorite specimen to study - the octopus; you're filming; then WHAM! - a cuttlefish comes up and snatches your octopus away!

That's exactly what happens in the video below - it's pretty wild!

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Octopus Necklace Worn By Rachel Ray Too!

Ooops! Looks like I missed this one when I posted about the octopus ring worn by Rachel Ray! It was also made by jewelry designer Catherine Weitzman.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Octopus Poem: The Kraken by Lord Alfred Tennyson

Below the thunders of the upper deep;
Far, far beneath in the abysmal sea,
His ancient, dreamless, uninvaded sleep
The Kraken sleepeth: faintest sunlights flee
About his shadowy sides: above him swell
Huge sponges of millennial growth and height;
And far away into the sickly light,
From many a wondrous grot and secret cell
Unnumbered and enormous polypi
Winnow with giant arms the slumbering green.
There hath he lain for ages and will lie
Battening upon huge sea-worms in his sleep,
Until the latter fire shall heat the deep;
Then once by man and angels to be seen,
In roaring he shall rise and on the surface die.

"The Kraken" first appeared in Poems, Chiefly Lyrical. By Alfred Tennyson. London: Effingham Wilson, Royal Exchange, Cornhill, 1830.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

This is Amazing: Odd-Fish.net

Odd-Fish.net is a MUST go-to website for cephalophiles with a sense of humor. The site features a cartoon strip with recurring characters; the main character is an octopus named Lovecraft.

Below is an example of the glory that awaits you at Odd-Fish.net:

Monday, May 4, 2009

Video: Rare Footage of Haliphron Atlanticus

Dr. Sylvia Earle describer her encounter with a rare Octopus off the coast of Hawaii. Dr. Earle was the chief scientist and director for the Sustainble Seas Expeditons - a five-year project of underwater exploration and discovery of the marine world with special emphasis on the National Marine Sanctuaries of the United States.

Dr. Earle was on her last dive Jan. 19 just off Lanai at a depth of about 1,300 feet, with National Geographic photographer Kip Evans in the second submersible.

"It was a nice long dive, almost three hours," she said. After Evans lifted off, she said she saw what she thought was some plastic hanging in the water.
"It turned out to have eyes -- an enormous octopus ... a wonderful creature. She inspected me while I inspected her' (Starbullentin.com Honolulu, HI)

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Octopus Ring Worn by Rachel Ray

Hollywood just loves our little eight-armed friend! This ring made by jewelry designer, Catherine Weitzman was reportedly worn by television personality and author, Rachel Ray.

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Octopus Mythology: The Kraken

Kraken are legendary sea monsters of gargantuan size, said to have dwelt off the coasts of Norway and Iceland. The sheer size and fearsome appearance attributed to the beasts have made them common ocean-dwelling monsters in various fictional works (see Kraken in popular culture). The legend may actually have originated from sightings of real giant squid that are variously estimated to grow to 13–15 metres (40–50 feet) in length, including the tentacles. These creatures normally live at great depths, but have been sighted at the surface and reportedly have "attacked" ships.





The Kraken has been a mainstay in popular culture for years, reappearing over and over again in literature and movies.

  • In 1830, Alfred Tennyson published his popular poem "The Kraken" (essentially an irregular sonnet), which disseminated Kraken in English forever fixed with its superfluous the. Tennyson's description apparently influenced Jules Verne's imagined lair of the famous giant squid in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea from 1870. In the novel, seven giant squid attack the submarine simultaneously; however, all film adaptations to date (excepting one depicting a giant manta ray-type creature) have opted for one, unrealistically massive squid instead. Verne also makes numerous references to Kraken and Erik Pontopiddan in the novel.

  • A Tolkien Bestiary by David Day proposes that the Watcher in the Water in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring was based on Kraken, though it seems unlikely that Tolkien would have placed the Kraken in fresh water. This view has been further contested by those who note that the tentacles of Tolkien's monster are nowhere described as octopus-like, though "The Watcher" does suggest a single creature. In the 2001 film version by Peter Jackson, the Watcher is clearly more similar to our modern view of Kraken.

  • The book The Kraken Wakes by John Wyndham details an almost apocalyptic scenario in which the massive sea creature is the main cause. Although it is made clear in the book that the 'Kraken' of the story is actually a process of invasion by ocean-dwelling aliens, it is still clear that the Kraken is the basis for these aliens and Wyndham's fictional narrator quotes Tennyson's poem in the preface. Presumably for this reason Wyndham has been cited as having based the story on the poem.

  • In Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, The Kraken is an enormous sea monster that does the bidding of Davy Jones by pursuing the souls of men who bear the black spot, a mark that appears on men who owe Jones a debt. Captain Jack Sparrow spends most of the movie trying to avoid the creature but is eventually forced to face off with it.

  • In the 2007 film Juno, the title character relates an anecdote about a high-school student overdosing on behavioural medication, stripping off her clothes, and diving into a shopping mall fountain, declaring, "I am a Kraken from the sea!" It is later revealed that she was that student.

  • The Kraken from Clash of the Titans appears in the Robot Chicken episode "The Munnery" voiced by Todd Grinnell. Poseidon releases the Kraken to devour Andromeda. Rejoicing that he is free, eats Andromeda, and heads to his old home only to find out that his wife has re-married. From there on, the sea monster's life continues to go downhill, unable to return to his original job and winding up slaving away at a fast food joint, until he finally hangs himself in a halfway house. This is all done as a parody of Brooks Hatlen's suicide in The Shawshank Redemption, complete with a Morgan Freeman-like voice-over entoning, "Like Andy always told me, get busy dying or get Kraken."

Friday, May 1, 2009

Species: Haliphron Atlanticus

This is an octopus that defies the way of the 'pus. "How?" you might wonder. By only having seven arms! That's right: Haliphron Atlanticus is a seven-armed octopus.

The Seven-arm Octopus (Haliphron Atlanticus) is the largest known species of octopus based on scientific records, with a total estimated length of 4m and weight of 75 kg. However, there have been disputed claims of even larger octopuses of the species Enteroctopus Dofleini (Giant Pacific Octopus).

Appearance and Anatonmy of Haliphron Atlanticus:

The Seven-arm Octopus is so named because in males the hectocotylus (a specially modified arm used in egg fertilization) is coiled in a sac beneath the right eye. Due to this species' thick gelatinous tissue, it is easily overlooked, giving the appearance of just seven arms.

Its suckers are mostly in two series but grade to single series near mouth. This species has extensive webbing between arms as pictured below.



Habitat of Haliphron Atlanticus:

This species is widely distributed from tropical to high latitudes and occupies meso- to bathypelagic depths. It is commonly associated with slopes of land masses. The habitat of this octopos is unusual. It has been captured in bottom trawls and videotaped swimming within centimeters of the ocean floor (brooding female) suggesting a benthopelagic habitat along the slope. However, it has also been taken from the open ocean thousands of meters from the ocean floor and hundreds of miles from the nearest slope. H. atlanticus is a common food item of blue sharks off New England, USA, and sperm whales near the Azores Isl.



In 2002, a single specimen of giant proportions was caught by fisheries trawling off the eastern Chatham Rise, New Zealand. This specimen, the largest of this species and of all octopuses, was the first validated record of Haliphron from the South Pacific. It had a mantle length of 0.69m, total length of 2.90m, and weight of 61.0kg, although it was incomplete.



There is still much to be learned about this mysterious species, and so the celebration of everything octopus continues!