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Singapore's shores are home to a wealth of biodiversity, but an octopus is one animal not many might expect to see here.
Chilling on rocks
Jay Yip shared on Facebook group "Singapore Wildlife Sightings" a picture of a decently-sized eight-limbed mollusc he found during an intertidal walk at Changi.
Video by Jay Yip / FB
The animal, which eats snails, crabs, clams and fish, could have been searching for food between the rocks.
Yip said he estimated the length of the octopus to be about 45cm from its head to the tip of its tentacle.
The post received over 2,000 likes and 100 shares over two days.
Many nature lovers congratulated him on the sighting, and some concerned commenters also wanted to know if the animal was still alive.
So Yip shared another photo of the octopus moving off the rock, taken right after the first picture. He also later shared a video of it returning to sea safely:
Video by Jay Yip / FB
Video by Jay Yip / FB
Octopuses in Singapore
Octopuses are actually quite commonly encountered on our shores.
However, due to their masterful camouflage and shy nature, they are hard to spot, according to Wild Singapore.
They can also be found in the deeper waters of Singapore. In 2021, one lucky diver captured footage of a rare and venomous blue-ringed octopus near Pulau Hantu while 10m underwater.
It is difficult to identify octopus species without close examination, but one commonly-seen octopus at Changi is the Big-head seagrass octopus.
Octopuses are known as the most intelligent animal of all invertebrates. They also have good eyesight and a well-developed brain.
They have sharp and hard beaks they can use to bite, so intertidal explorers are advised to wear covered footwear and keep their distance.
The school holiday period may bring more families to the intertidal zone this June. Visitors should take note not to disturb or remove any wildlife from their natural habitat.
Other cool wildlife sightings
Top image by Jay Yip / FB