And the Winner is...

Angelina Cardone!!!! Angelina, please email everythingoctopus@gmail.com with your shipping address so we can deliver your new print. Thank you to everyone who participated in the Everything Octopus Thanksgiving Contest! Check the blog often for new content, and be sure to stay tuned for the annual Cephalopodmas contest for your chance to win a FREE octopus ornament. (O)(o)(O)(o)(O)>

Everything Octopus Thanksgiving Contest

I just couldn't wait until the annual Cephalopodmas contest, so I thought I'd start the gift-giving early this year!

I've got exciting things in store for my fellow cephalophiles and need your help to bring this vision to life! Entering this contest will support Everything Octopus greatly AND give you a chance to win a FREE print from UrbanOctopus.com.

"Find your soul within the mind of the octopus" print by Urban Octopus

I'm just keeping it safe for you! Enter the contest for your chance to win!

To Enter the Everything Octopus Thanksgiving Contest...

1) You must be a Member of Everything Octopus. If you're not already a Member, go to the right hand side of the page and click "Join This Site" under the "Fellow Cephalophiles" headline. You'll automatically get Everything Octopus updates and be part of a fun ceph-loving community!

2) Fill out the Everything Octopus Reader Survey. It takes less than 60 seconds! All info will remain anonymous and confidential.

3) Once you have become a member and completed the survey, leave a comment on this post. It can say anything you want! Be sure to include your email address in your comment so that we may contact you and tell you you've WON! If your email is not included in your blogger profile (meaning that we can click on your name in the comment box to access it), then please add it to your comment.

The winner will be selected by a raffle, meaning that if 50 people post comments, we'll randomly draw a number between 1 and 50, and the commenter that corresponds with that number is the winner.

The contest will run until Thursday, November 22nd, and the winner will be announced on Friday, November 23rd. Have fun and good luck!!!

Everything Octopus Contest...Starts Tomorrow!

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I'd like to give thanks to the awesome readers who make EverythingOctopus.com the fun cephalophile hub that it is. You guys n gals rock! Check back tomorrow for details on how YOU can win a FREE octopus print from UrbandOctopus.com!

Urban Octopus: Find Your Soul

I first found Urban Octopus this past May at CycLAvia, an event where the streets of downtown LA are closed to cars and instead are open to cyclists, giving Angelenos an opportunity to experience the city from a new perspective. Before I knew the name, I was drawn to the Urban Octopus booth by the array of colorful art resourcefully hung along a parking lot gate.

I had already thought the art was fantastic...then I saw the octopus!

About Urban Octopus

It's a simple equation: Energy + Creativity = Urban Octopus

We believe that the true power of art is its ability to push the mind into a state of wonder. Our designs are created with the intention of carrying the viewer into that state of mind.

We hand-print (silk screen) our artwork only onto the highest quality garments so you can enjoy wearing them as much as we enjoy creating them.

In addition to these cool octopus-inspired designs, there are tons of other awesome prints available on posters, t-shirts, hoodies, onesies and more!

Find your soul within the mind of the octopus

Eight-armed Painter to Debut Talent During Octopus Month

In case you missed it last month...

Originally posted at hmsc.oregonstate.edu

Evidence for octopus intelligence abounds: the leggy invertebrates can use tools, solve problems, and display remarkable curiosity. But now aquarists at the Hatfield Marine Science Center Visitor Center in Newport have found a way to allow Squirt, their resident octopus, to express his artistic creativity as well.

Just in time for Octopus Month at the Visitor Center, the husbandry team has created a device that allows the octopus to manipulate a series of paint brushes against a canvas outside of the tank. Aquarist Kristen Simmons was the brains behind the mechanism. “I did this to combine animal enrichment and public education.” she said, “The art gives people a different way to experience this animal's behavior.”

“While a painting octopus is very entertaining and captures our imaginations,” explained Dr. Tim Miller-Morgan, aquatic vet for Oregon Sea Grant, “the real purpose behind this activity is to provide behavioral enrichment for these very curious and intelligent animals.”

The Giant Pacific Octopus has been a centerpiece at the HMSC Visitor Center since 1965. Generations of visitors have fond remembrances of seeing the octopus for the first time. “The octopus holds a very special place in the hearts of our visitors” said Becca Schiewe, Volunteer Coordinator for the Visitor Center. “Coming face to face with such an intriguing and intelligent animal opens people up to learning more about the wonder and mystery of the ocean.”

Squirt’s colorful paintings have captured the attention of community artists in Newport, and several have volunteered to collaborate with Squirt on shared works. Alex Krupkin, artist and molecular biologist based at HMSC, was the first to collaborate with Squirt. “The octopus’s artistic style is really bold, yet open to interpretation…the opportunity to participate in this collaboration is pretty exciting,” he said.

The octopus will create one painting a week during the month of October, designated by the Visitor Center as Octopus Month. By making an additional donation to the Visitor Center Octopus fund, visitors will be entered into a weekly drawing for Squirt’s paintings and other prizes each week, including marine themed art from local artisans, and an “up close and personal” octopus encounter at HMSC.

Drawings will occur each Saturday in October. October 20th will be a special day to celebrate all things octopus and will include children’s activities, face painting, special guest speakers, and an octopus feeding at 1 pm.

Fans of Squirt can keep tabs on his activities – artistic and otherwise – by viewing the HMSC live streaming “OctoCam” at http://hmsc.oregonstate.edu/visitor/octocam.

The mission of the HMSC Visitor Center is to interpret ocean science and the latest Oregon State University marine research. The Visitor Center features displays about local marine research and the marine environment, including aquaria, touch tanks, and hands-on activities. A range of special events is scheduled at the Center throughout the year. For more information, go to http://hmsc.oregonstate.edu/visitor.

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Be sure to visit Hatfield MarineScience Center's OctoCam to keep an eye on what Squirt is up to!

Gorgeous Jewelry by Everything Octopus Reader, Ele Maudsley

Everything Octopus reader, Ele Maudsley, took her talent for jewelry design and combined it with the inspiration she draws from octopuses to create a stunning line of handmade jewelry to dive for!!!

Ele's Bio

Hello, my name is Ele. I am currently based in my home town Carnforth, Lancashire. I completed my degree in metalwork and jewellery at Sheffiled Hallam University. I am an artist, designer maker specialising in metalwork and jewellery, my pieces being a crossover of both worlds.

I like to create objects that can be admired as pieces of sculptural art but which can also be worn and intereract with the body. My work is theatrical, bold and interactive and would lend itself to a catwalk or performance scenario. I work predominately in silver or brass, enjoy combining metals and other materials and use hand skills as well as some engineering. I am inspired by natural form, history, surrealism, storytelling and the Steampunk aesthetic, combining old and new. I try to incorporate a kinetic element to suprise and entertain the wearer/viewer.

Please visit Ele's site, EleMaudsleyDesign.com to see more of her tentacular creations.

Octopus Ink: What Does it Do?

A few years back, we explored the the mechanics of how octopus inking works. To recap, octopuses have an ink sac located near their digestive system, and when necessary, they can eject ink out of the sac accompanied by a burst of water to serve as a smokescreen to confuse predators while the octopus swims away.

Octopuses have two main methods of inking. The first type is the one with which we are most familiar. The octopus will squirt a large cloud of ink, then make a quick getaway, leaving behind a predator befuddled by the inky smokescreen. Sometimes though, the octopus will release several small clouds of ink approximately the same size as the octopus itself meant to be pseudomorphs or "false bodies" that serve as decoys to confuse the predator. What's interesting is that the composition of these smaller ink "bodies" differs from that of one large ink cloud as they contain greater amounts of mucus, thereby allowing them to hold their form longer while the octopus - or cephalopod - escapes.

This method, commonly referred to as "blanch-ink-jet maneuver", is so effective a variety of species have been witnessed attacking the false bodies.

Wait - it gets better! There is some evidence to suggest that certain chemical compounds found in octopus ink actually suppress or disable certain predators' chemosensory systems, leading scientists to believe that octopus ink is much more than a mere smokescreen.

Cephalopod ink has been shown to contain several chemicals with some varieties depending on the species. The primary components are melanin and mucus. Tyrosinase, dopamine and L-DOPA, and small amounts of amino acids, including taurine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, alanine and lysine are also known constituents of octopus ink.

While there is still much research to be done, recent evidence suggests that cephalopod ink is toxic to tumor cells.

We have a long way to go to uncover the many mysteries shrouding the octopus, so please join us as we continue to explore and celebrate everything octopus.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween from Everything Octopus!

An octopus sculpted entirely of pumpkins at a farm in northeastern Germany. Impressive!

Dressing up as an octopus? Carving an octopus pumpkin? Send us pictures! EverythingOctopus@gmail.com

Octopus Snowboards

As the seasons change, so do the sports, and it's nearly time to trade the surf for the snow! As it turns out, there are many snowboarders hitting the slopes with cephalophile style. Here are some of the most stunning and striking octopus snowboards I found while crawling the web for everything octopus.

Tentacles snowboard from PixelCanibal.com

Pink tentacles snowboard designed by Konrad Kirpluk

Psychedelic octopus by Jamie Lynn at lib-tech.com

Classic Minoan octopus design by Junkan

Video: Mimic Octopus Inking

One of nature's most fascinating defense mechanism's is cephalopods' ability to "ink" their predators. Watch as this Mimic Octopus squirts ink at the camera in order to make a quick getaway.

Cephalopod Ink Handmade Pottery

Funny things happen when I go deep into the wild of the world wide web in search of everything octopus. Sometimes I find myself falling down the rabbit hole, searching for one topic and ending up on another entirely. Today's post is the result of one fruitful fall, if I do say so myself. CephalopodInk.com is a handmade ceramics shop and gallery owned and operated by Tanya Casteel who disocvered her love of oceanic creatures when she moved from Kansas to Maine at age 19.

Artist Bio from CephalopodInk.com

I'm a full-time ceramic artist in Fuquay-Varina, NC (near Raleigh) My background in photography, my interest in science, and love of the ocean all informs my work. Each item is individually handmade, making them one of a kind. They are decorated with aquatic decal graphics that I make myself. The decals are applied last and fired in a kiln (during a 3rd firing) which transfers the iron-oxide pigment into the glaze; making it part of the glaze. The images will NOT come off! I also make all the glazes myself. My pottery is food, microwave, and dishwasher safe.

Now wait till you see the beautiful wares Tanya has created and sells on Etsy.com...Naturally, I want one of everything octofied.

Octopus Cup, $25

Cuttlefish Plate, $50

Octopus Bowl, $32

Octopus Mug, $32

Squid Tiny Bowl, $18

Tentacle Wall Art, $135

...and there's lots more where that came from! In addition to featuring some fine cephalopods, Cephalopod Ink also features a fun variety of ocean life including seahorses, eels, whales, coral and more. Check out Etsy.com/Shop/CephalopodInk for the full line of Cephalopod Ink ceramics.

Latex Octopus Kimono by Deadly Couture

The Deadly Couture Latex Kimono is a sight to behold.

Made with different colours of semi-trans, and metallic latex with lotus flower and octopus appliques. This item is a one size only but I can take measurements for you if you require.

The kimono comes with gloves and adjustable obi belt that is adorned with a large latex bow. Shoes and hair accessories are model's own and not included with the listing.

1 in stock and it is one of a kind.

Kisses by Deadly Couture Latex

Photography provided by Christina Lazar-Schuler | filmWERX Studiol

Model: Isis Noir

MUA by Carolina Jean - Makeup Artist & Hair Stylist

$1,000

New Tentacular Tee Shirts from ShanaLogic.com

Leave it to ShanaLogic.com to bring the awesomesauce once again! After scouring the web for the snazziest octopus tees for years now, I've gotta' say, it's refreshing to see a good looking V-neck! This genuinely excites me, as I hope it does you.

The second serving of awesomesauce comes in the form of wrap-around tentacles. They go around the whole shirt! This means increased visibility for fellow cephalophiles. Rejoice with me, people!

Tentacles V-Neck Tee Product Description

Killer Design!!

Red and grey tentacles wrap mysteriously around the front and back of this super comfy tee! This unique design couldn't be more awesome and is sure to turn heads (cause well, it's amazing!)

This design is printed on a high quality, 100% tri-blend, v-neck top (50% cotton, 25% polyester, 25% rayon) cut especially for ladies!

Size: See dropdown for sizing

SIZING NOTE: This t-shirt is almost one size larger than the women's shirt size you'd normally wear (for instance, the model is 36 bust and is wearing a medium for a more fitted look). If you are in between sizes, go DOWN a size. If you prefer baggier tees, go up a size.

Small = Regular Women's Medium

Medium = Regular Women's Large

Large = Regular Women's XL

XL = Regular Women's 2XL

$26

Art from Everything Octopus Reader, Nina Crittenden

I am continuously amazed at the incredible talent and creativity of Everything Octopus readers. Children's book artist, Nina Crittenden, recently shared her underwater illustration featuring a variety of sea creatures including one very handsome Daniel Day Octopus.

Nina even has a coloring book version available on her site, NinaCrittenden.com for kids to color in their own imaginative interpretations of the under-the-sea illustration as well as others.

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Do you have art, photogrpahy, tattoos, toys, or anything octofied to share with Everything Octopus readers? Please email it to EverythingOctopus@Gmail.com - Your submissions are most welcome!

Video: Octopus vs. Sea Lion

Off the coast of Australia, a hungry female sea lion sets out for a snack...octopus beware!

More Octopus Manicures!

One of my favorite Everything Octopus blog posts was this past spring's Tell Your Manicurist You Want Octopus Nails!. I love celebrating people's creativity and love seeing all the awesome ideas people think up that involve our beloved octopus. In that spirit, I thought it was time for a second celebration of octopus manicures. Enjoy!

Step-by-step guide to your own fabulous octopus nails available at PolishedIndulgence.com

Want this look? Check out the tutorial SonomaNailArt.com

Octopus Ear Cuff

Because you can never have too many octopus accessories...

InkedShop.com Octopus Ear Cuff Product Description

We'd die for this Octopus Ear Cuff available in silver and gold tone. Measuring 2.5" x 1", you are sure to get lots of attention. Pair with a big Inked ring, and you're good to go!

$9.95

If your skin is sensitive, there are several sterling silver versions available online. Yes, they cost a bit more, although I usually find that the quality and comfort for those with delicate skin is quite worth it! Happy octo-shopping!

The Octopus Unites the World at the Olympics Closing Ceremony!

It was such a delight to turn on the TV to watch the Olympics closing ceremony and be greeted by a giant glowing octopus! The octopus served as the symbol of unity, bringing together the many nations that competed in the 2012 Olympics in a huge, vibrant celebration.

Maine Cottage Octopus Pillow

I'm summering in Maine and thought it might be fun to poke around the eastern-most state and see what octopuses I could find. While this lovely, laid-back throw pillow was made in Wisconsin, it's got a chill, beachy vibe to it. Perfect to plop in your favorite chair and stare out at the vastness of the Atlantic!

MaineCottage.com Octopus Pillow Product Description

From the coral reef to the tidal pool. Incredibly excellent handcrafted pillows embracing the Seaside lifestyle we all aspire to. Punch up the color and vibrancy in a bedroom, on a sofa, or in a favorite chair. Think odd numbers. Decorating with 3-5 is always best.

Each pillow is made by artisans in Wisconsin that block-print by hand using "fine-art" printmaking techniques. Printed on exceptional linen and cotton fabric using environmentally sensitive, water-based inks that are free of solvents, lead and heavy-metals. Everything is washable and superbly color-fast, resulting in a product that is not only eco-friendly but also beautiful and durable.

$168

Happy First Day of Summer!

Since it's that special time of year when we bust out the beach blankets and lay by the shores of octopusland, I thought we could celebrate with some good n' proper octopus-inspired beach attire. Check out this snazzy two-piece octopus-covered swimsuit from AngryYoungAndPoor.com.

Octopus Bikini Description
Sometimes you just gotta swim in the public pool. Sure, there's a million little kids, and the really fat lady is taking up the last two beach chairs, but it's hot out and you've gotta cool off somehow! Longline bra style top(with adjustable bra straps), and a highwaisted skirt bottom(with attached panty). Black waistband, bow, ruffle hem, and faux pocket detail. Sublimation Printing: Due to the special printing process used to make our one-of-a-kind swimsuits, tiny pinprick black dots may appear in lighter colored areas. This should in no way ruin the design or inhibit you ability to look totally kick-ass in our swimsuits.

$51.99

What Does the Octopus Tell us About Climate Change?

Originally posted June 12, 2012
Written by Deb Anderson
TheAge.co.au

Octopuses help us understand our world - past, present, and future - yet another reason to love these fascinating cephalopods! Check out this interesting interview with geneticist, Jan Strugnell, to learn what the octopus can tell us about the planet.


AN ANTARCTIC octopus has given scientists a clue to the risk of catastrophic sea-level rise if world temperatures keep climbing. La Trobe University geneticist Jan Strugnell and an international team analysed the genes of the Turquet's octopus, which lives in the Southern Ocean, as part of the first Census of Antarctic Marine Life (a 10-year project involving about 2700 experts from 82 nations). Dr Strugnell says scientists now have the largest sample sizes ever collected from Antarctica and this finding shows their climate concerns could be justified.

What led you to study the genes of a relatively sedentary Antarctic octopus?

We were interested in investigating patterns of connectivity around Antarctica in a marine species and we wanted to try to get a picture of what the past environment was like. We wanted to see what factors have influenced the evolution of this species and if the octopus contained genetic signatures of the past environmental conditions.

Why this creature — what makes it so special?

The Turquet's octopus is an ideal choice as it presents in large populations and is found all around the Southern Ocean. This octopus also lays relatively few, large eggs — between 22 and 60 eggs, each about 20 millimetres long — and they hatch into little octopus that live on the sea floor close to their parents, ie, they don't have a planktonic larval phase like most octopus.

And this has implications for genetic research?

This means there isn't as much genetic mixing between populations as there is in a species with a planktonic phase, so each population can develop different signatures across generations if they have been separated for a long time.

Your work must involve incredible fieldwork?

Yes. I've been lucky enough to travel to the Southern Ocean twice to catch octopus — once to locations around the Antarctic Peninsula and a second time to the Amundsen Sea [in western Antarctica]. The trips are for a few months at a time. The scenery is very beautiful and the ice is surprisingly colourful.

How on earth do you keep warm?

Life on research ships is very comfortable and warm inside. Working on the deck can get pretty cold, though — and you definitely need multiple pairs of gloves to stop your fingers freezing.

This research was part of a census?

Yes. The Census of Antarctic Marine Life and the International Polar Year really facilitated sharing samples between different countries and organisations, which made this study possible.

And this study, how did you do it?

We sampled 450 individuals of Turquet's octopus from locations all around the Southern Ocean. I genotyped 10 microsatellite loci — fast-evolving population genetic markers, and I also sequenced cytochrome oxidase I — the "barcoding gene" — from each of these octopus. We used this data to look for similarities and differences in the genetic signatures of octopus sampled from populations around the Southern Ocean.

What did you discover?

We expected we would find a marked difference between octopus populations separated by large distances. However, the genetic signatures of populations in the Ross Sea and the Weddell Sea — on opposite sides of Antarctica, separated by about 10,000 kilometres — are startlingly similar.

Can you explain the significance of that?

This is an interesting finding because it supports some climate models that suggest sometime during the last 1.1 million years there has been a collapse of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. This would have raised the global sea level by 3.3 metres to five metres, and created a seaway across West Antarctica between the Ross and Weddell seas, potentially allowing exchange of animals between these seaways. The genetic similarity we see in octopus from the Ross and Weddell seaways supports this idea of a historic seaway.

What does this tell us about the years ahead?

This has implications for the future as some scenarios of future climate change predict such a collapse during the next two centuries, which would again open this seaway and permit genetic exchange between these regions.

Read more: TheAge.co.uk

Fiona Apple Wears Octopus Hat in New Video

Check out the tentacle spectacle in Fiona Apple's video for her new single, "Every Single Night".

Outstanding Octopus Pumps from ShopPlasticland.com

One of the toughest items for me to track down is octopus shoes, especially cute ones. Luckily ShopPlasticland.com is looking out for us cephalophiles and has recently added these outstanding octopus pumps to their ever-expanding collection of octopus goodies.

Outstanding Octopus Pumps Product Description

These unique high heels feature 4.75" heels (3.25" if you exclude the 1.5" platform sole), and a black velveteen body with a red octopus embroidered across the entire shoe including the heel! They say it's not nice to walk all over your friends, but these little guys are happy to get stepped on all day long ♥

*Fit Runs Slightly Big
* Medium Width
* Non-Leather Upper
* Vegan Friendly
 $72

128 Million-Year-Old Fossil Ancestor of Squids & Octopus Found

Originally from PressTV.com

LONDON: Scientists have unearthed the fossils of a 128-million-year-old spiky creature which they say could be the oldest ancestor of the modern-day squid and octopus. Using 3D scanning technology , a team from the Austria National History Museum unearthed the fossil of the creature, called Dissimilites intermedius, a layer at a time, and then created a video of how the creature lived and moved.


The ammonite was discovered in sediment which formed at the bottom of the ocean during the Cretaceous period some 128 million years ago, but now lies at the top of the Dolomite mountains in the Alps.

The scientists said that the computer tomography had allowed them to see far more than they would ever have been able to with the naked eyewith the creature exposed a layer at a time. The team, led by Alexander Lukeneder , also discovered that the body was covered with spines each between three and 4mm long. "Computer tomography and a 3D reconstruction programme were used to help reconstruct not only the appearance of the fossil, but also to work out how it moved." The spokesman added that prehistoric Tethys Ocean, which existed between the continents of Gondwana and Laurasiam, had left behind millions of years-worth of sediment at the bottom of the sea.

Gondwana would break up to form much of the southern hemisphere, and Laurasia would form much of the northern hemisphere. As the centuries passed and the Alps folded out of the sea, some of the former sea-bottom sediment ended up on the peaks of the Dolomites. And it was here that a section of the former seabed was discovered - with the thickest density of fossils.

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Check out PressTV.com for pictures.

Victorian Octopus Bag, Purse, and Wallet from ShopPlasticLand.com

Everything Octopus readers take note: ShopPlasticLand.com "Purveyors of Kitsch Curiousities and Retro Clothing" has new octopus stuff!



This unique Steampunk inspired cross-body messenger bag is made of leather-look tan vinyl with a body and flap that is tinted to look like an antique Italian map. It features a big vintage octopus etching and travel stamps printed in black on the front, a zippered pocket on back, and a large interior space with small accessory pockets on one side. This lovely piece would make a unique addition to any handbag collection!

* 13.5" x 11" x 4" (not including the strap)
* Adjustable Strap
* Strap has a 10" - 20" Drop
* Non-Leather
* Vegan Friendly

Save up your nickels and dimes with this awesome Steampunk inspired Victorian Octopus change purse. Made of leather-look vinyl tinted to look like an antique Italian map, it features a vintage octopus etching printed in black on the front, a transparent I.D. window on the back, a top zipper closure, and key-ring attachment. Can also be used as a small cosmetic bag.


* 3"t x 4.25"w

Save up your nickels and dimes with this awesome large Steampunk inspired Victorian Octopus clutch wallet. Made of leather-look vinyl tinted to look like an antique Italian map, it features a vintage octopus etching and travel stamps printed in black, a zipper closure, and a detachable wristlet strap. The interior space has a zippered pocket, a cash pocket, spaces for credit cards, and a clear windowed ID holder.


* 7" x 3.5" x 1" (when closed)
* Zipper Closure
* Non-Leather
* Vegan Friendly