Invertebrates
Flapjack Octopus
Opisthoteuthis californiana · also called flapjack octopuses, umbrella octopus
Deep on the Pacific seafloor, far beyond any trace of sunlight, a flapjack octopus settles gently over the sediment, its webbed arms spreading its soft body into a flattened shape not unlike a pancake left to cool. There is no burst of ink here, no urgent dash to safety, just a slow, unhurried pulse of webbing carrying it a short distance further along the seafloor.
Overview
The flapjack octopus, Opisthoteuthis californiana, is a soft-bodied, deep-sea cephalopod native to deep Pacific waters. Closely related to the dumbo octopus, it moves through the food-scarce deep sea with slow, gentle pulses rather than rapid jetting.
Built for slow living
Lacking an ink sac and rarely needing to move quickly, the flapjack octopus reflects the generally unhurried pace of deep-sea life, where energy conservation matters far more than the fast escape responses so common among shallow-water relatives.
Status
Data Deficient — difficult to study directly given its deep-sea habitat, with no comprehensive population assessment currently available.
Flapjack Octopus: common questions
Why is it called a flapjack octopus?
A flapjack octopus has a distinctively flattened, rounded body with extensive webbing connecting its arms, a shape that spreads into something resembling a flat pancake or umbrella when the arms are extended, a visual resemblance directly reflected in its common name.
How is the flapjack octopus related to the dumbo octopus?
The flapjack octopus belongs to the same broader group of deep-sea octopuses as the dumbo octopus, sharing a similarly soft, gelatinous body plan and a generally reduced or absent ink sac, though the two have their own distinct body shapes and are considered separate species within that shared deep-sea group.
How does a flapjack octopus move around?
Unlike many shallow-water octopus species capable of rapid jet propulsion, a flapjack octopus generally moves with slow, gentle pulses of its webbed arms and small fins, an energy-efficient style of movement well suited to the food-scarce, high-pressure conditions of its deep-sea habitat.
Why doesn't the flapjack octopus use ink to escape predators?
A flapjack octopus generally lacks the ink sac found in many shallow-water octopus species, likely because an ink-based escape response provides little benefit in the deep sea, where visibility is already extremely limited by darkness rather than by a predator's ability to see clearly.