Hardcase-Clawed Octopus
A shelled predator.
We don’t catch one very often, they usually stick to the seabed where we can’t reach. The only examples we get are either dead or the ones that got tangled up in our nets with the fish that they just hunting. Curious but feisty things, you always have to be careful around them. The spikes on their shell will kill you and its clawed tentacles pack a punch. And trust me, they will try to use either on you. I’ve heard in the south there is a much more peaceful variant that doesn’t have the claws and feeds on plankton and algae. I haven’t seen one like that here though. And it’s always better to assume it is the hardcase-clawed one.Kell Varett, captain of a fishing jacht
The Hardcase-Clawed Octopus (sometimes written separately) is an apex sea predator living in the Northern Sea. It is characterised by its tough shell with toxic spikes, thanks to which it has no natural predators.
Basic Information
Anatomy
The animal has two main parts - a soft body and an exoskeleton in the form of a spiked shell. It has 8 tentacle limbs that end with two chitin claws, one shorter than the other. The soft body is connected to the exoskeleton via a flexible membrane, thanks to which it can move around inside. It has a single mouth opening with a beak like structure and 2 rows of small teeth behind it for tearing apart its food. At the back there is a small opening for digested material to leave the body. It sees via two spherical eyes put at the end of antennas that are attached by the sides of the mouth.
Dietary Needs and Habits
The hardcase-clawed octopus will usually go after larger quantities of small fish, though it can also take on bigger animals such as sharks. It primarily hunts by lightly digging itself into the sea bottom with its tentacles slightly protruding out of its shell, above the sand. When it feels something moving in close vicinity or a shadow lingering, it will swiftly lunge itself upwards and attack with its clawed tentacles. At times it will also hunt more actively, swimming around and chasing its prey. It can store some of its caught food inside of the shell for later consumption. When digesting, it will dig itself deeper into the ground or hide among rocks, fully retreating inside of its shell and closing all of its openings via movable bone plates.
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