Head to head
Wunderpus Octopus vs Flapjack Octopus
A wunderpus octopus and a flapjack octopus are both octopuses that have taken their body shape and lifestyle to unusual extremes, but they occupy almost entirely different worlds, one in bright shallow sand, the other in the cold darkness of the deep sea.
| Wunderpus Octopus | Flapjack Octopus | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Wunderpus photogenicus | Opisthoteuthis californiana |
| Typical depth | Shallow coastal waters | Deep sea |
| Body shape | Long-armed, striped | Flattened, umbrella-like |
| Activity pattern | Active by day | Slow, generally continuous |
| Ink sac | Present | Generally absent |
| Diet | Carnivore | Carnivore |
| Native range | Tropical Indo-Pacific | Pacific Ocean |
| Conservation status | Data Deficient | Data Deficient |
Wunderpus Octopus vs Flapjack Octopus: common questions
Are the wunderpus octopus and flapjack octopus closely related?
Both are octopuses, but they occupy very different parts of the octopus family tree and very different habitats, with the wunderpus octopus living in shallow tropical coastal waters and the flapjack octopus belonging to the same deep-sea group as the dumbo octopus, so despite both having unusual body plans, they are not close relatives.
Why does the flapjack octopus lack an ink sac while the wunderpus octopus has one?
The flapjack octopus generally lacks an ink sac because an ink-based escape response provides little benefit in the deep sea, where visibility is already extremely limited by darkness, while the wunderpus octopus lives in bright, shallow coastal water where an ink cloud remains a genuinely useful defensive tool against predators that can actually see it.
Which octopus is easier for divers to encounter, the wunderpus or the flapjack?
The wunderpus octopus is considerably easier to encounter, since it lives in shallow coastal waters and is frequently active during the day, making it a relatively commonly photographed species, while the flapjack octopus lives at considerable ocean depth and is rarely seen outside of deep-sea research expeditions.