Octopus Tentacle

Underwater Photography by Jay Torborg

"Octopus Tentacle Closeup"

The Hawaiian Day Octopus (Octopus cyanea) is the most common octopus in Hawaii. A member of the same phylum as the clam (Mollusca), octopuses are noted for their remarkable intelligence, their ability to change color instantly, the cloud of ink they release to cover their exit, and their ability to compress themselves through tiny cracks. Their tentacles act as suction cups and can be used to hold onto objects quite firmly.

This close-up was photographed in about 45 feet of water off the south Kohala Coast near Puako Beach on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Photographed with a Nikon N90s in a Sea&Sea NX90 housing with two Ikelite 200 strobes. Nikon 60mm f2.8 macro lens. Fuji Provia 100F transparency film scanned with a Nikon LS-2000.