Head to head
Japetella vs Glass Octopus
Both octopuses drift through open water rather than crawling on the seafloor, but they rely on very different strategies to avoid predators.
| Japetella | Glass Octopus | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Japetella diaphana | Vitreledonella richardi |
| Transparency | Transparent as a juvenile, dark as an adult | Nearly entirely transparent throughout life |
| Primary defence | Bioluminescent flashes as an adult | Camouflage through transparency |
| Body colour change | Changes dramatically with age | Remains consistently transparent |
| Lifestyle | Drifts through open water | Drifts through open water |
| Mostly known from | Direct observation at various depths | Remains found in predator stomachs |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Habitat | Ocean | Ocean |
Japetella vs Glass Octopus: common questions
Which one changes colour dramatically as it matures?
Japetella is the one that changes colour dramatically, starting out nearly transparent as a juvenile before darkening into a dense reddish-brown as an adult, while the glass octopus remains transparent throughout its life.
Which one relies mainly on bioluminescent flashes rather than transparency?
Japetella relies on this strategy as an adult, once it has darkened beyond the point of blending in, while the glass octopus instead relies on lifelong transparency rather than producing its own light.
How do scientists learn about each of these elusive octopuses?
The glass octopus is known largely from remains recovered from the stomachs of predators such as tuna and seabirds, while Japetella has been more directly observed at various depths as it matures.