Anthropologie Octopus Tea Cup

I thought you might enjoy a little something I picked up at one of my favorite stores over the summer...a delightful little octopus tea cup from Anthropologie!





Octopus Tea Cup Description

Inky tentacles swirl up from the sea to cradle your coffee or tea.

Stoneware
Dishwasher and microwave safe
15.5 oz
3"H, 5.25" diameter
Imported

$14

I can tell you from experience, sharing your tea with an octopus makes each brew a splendid occasion!

Species: Argonaut

These unique creatures are also sometimes referred to as "paper nautiluses", because of the paper-thin eggcase that females secrete. The case is actually a chamber in which air is trapped to maintain buoyancy, and not the same structure present in a nautilus shell. Argonauts are pelagic octopuses, meaning that they live in the open sea, far from the ocean floor. They can be found in tropical and subtropical waters throughout the world

Like most octopuses, they have a rounded body, eight arms and no fins. However, unlike most octopuses, argonauts live close to the sea surface rather than on the seabed. Argonauta species are characterised by very large eyes and small distal webs.

Mankind has known about female Argonauts since ancient times, however because of the many differences between the males and females of the speices, we only became aware of the males in the late 19th century. Females grow up to 10 cm and make shells up to 30 cm, while males rarely surpass 2 cm. The males only mate once in their short lifetime, whereas the females are capable of having offspring many times with different partners over the course of their lives. I

Interestingly, the males lack the dorsal tentacles used by the females to create their eggcases. Instead, the males use a modified arm, the hectocotylus, to transfer sperm to the female. For fertilization, the arm is inserted into the female's pallial cavity, then is detached from the male. The hectocotylus when found in females was originally described as a parasitic worm!

After depositing her eggs into her eggcase, she will take shelter in it. Females are usually found with her head and tentacles protruding from the opening of the egg case, but they retreats deeper inside if disturbed. These ornate curved white eggcases are occasionally found floating on the sea, sometimes with the female argonaut clinging to it.



Argonauts use tentacles to grab prey and drag it toward the mouth. It then bites the prey to inject it with poison from the salivary gland. They feed on small crustaceans, molluscs, jellyfish and salps. If the prey is shelled, the argonaut uses its radula to drill into the organism, then inject the poison. They generally eat during the day.

Customary of octopuses, Argonauts are capable of altering their color. They can blend in with their surroundings to avoid predators. They also produce ink, which is ejected when the animal is being attacked. This ink paralyzes the olfaction of the attacker, providing time for the argonaut to escape. The female is also able to pull back the web covering of her shell, making a silvery flash, which may deter a predator from attacking.

Octo-fuss in Walla Walla Continues!

So sorry for the absence of Everything Octopus these past few months. Thank you for your patience and for your many inspired and motivating emails! I thought we'd start things back up with a call to arms of sorts, all eight of them!!!

From: keprtv.com, October, 19, 2010
Written by: Molly Kelleher


WALLA WALLA -- The octo-fuss continues in Walla Walla. A giant purple octopus painting has racked up nearly $1,000 in fines for a toy store owner. And KEPR learned that owner has hired a lawyer to fight the city's decision.

A father walking by the mural pointed it out to his son, explaining, "They're making them take it down... What do you think of that?"
It's all anyone can talk about in downtown Walla Walla and online. Even a Facebook page titled "Save the Endangered Purple Octopus" was just put up last week and already has 2,400+ fans.

Inland Octopus Toy Store owner Bob Catsiff shared, "To me, that's just an amazing number. I have nothing to do with the Facebook page, it does show how much support there is for this mural."

They say you can't fight city hall, but Catsiff says he has no choice. He's hired a lawyer to fight the fines, amounting to $100 a day for every day that purple octopus stays up.

Catsiff explained, "I kind of look at it as pretty heavy-handed. I'm right so I'll fight it."

Walla Walla's city manager Nabiel Shawa says, "I think it's fair to say this issue has taken on a life of its own."

KEPR found out the city has received 33 emails about the purple octopus, most in favor of keeping it, and a handful of phone calls.

KEPR asked, "Does public outcry play into the city's decision at all?" Shawa answered, "That's not how the judicial system works. He's violated code. He was aware of the requirements."

Catsiff responded, "My belief is that the code is unconstitutionally vague. Over broad."

Catsiff has argued it's not a sign, it's a mural. But the city manager tells KEPR it doesn't matter, and there was no permit application. The fight will now go to a hearing examiner. An outside attorney will decide if the purple octopus will stay, or go. If the shop owner loses that battle, there's always an appeal in superior court.

In the meantime, the purple octopus will watch over Walla Walla, and those who keep talking about it.

Fan this page on Facebook! Save the Endangered Purple Octopus

Damn the man, Save the octopus!