It was World Octopus Day on 8 October, but there is perhaps no need for a specific day to celebrate these amazing creatures. Intelligent, charismatic and highly-evolved, octopus are amazing and sought-after subjects for underwater image makers. Their apparently infinitely variable appearance, and engaging behaviors allow for a huge variety of unique still and video images.

Given that it is always a good idea to understand your subjects, Wetpixel has compiled a list of fascinating resources that delve into the octopus biology, physiology and behavior:

Roger Hanlon, Mike Vecchione, and Louise Allcock’s excellent visual guide to cephalopods: Octopus, Squid, and Cuttlefish: A Visual, Scientific Guide to the Oceans’ Most Advanced Invertebrates.

Peter Godfrey-Smith’s study of octopus intelligence: Other Minds: The Octopus and The Evolution of Intelligent Life

Octopus: The Ocean’s Intelligent Invertebrate by Jennifer A. Mather , Roland C. Anderson , et al.

Super Suckers: The Giant Pacific Octopus and Other Cephalopods of the Pacific Coast by Jim Cosgrove & Neil McDaniel.

Wonderful Resources from The Cephalopod Citizen Science Project.

Cephalopod ID guide for the Mediterranean Sea (PDF) by Christian Drerup and Gavan M Cooke of The Cephalopod Citizen Science Project or on Facebook.

Cephalopod ID guide for the North Sea (PDF) by Christian Drerup and Gavan M Cooke of The Cephalopod Citizen Science Project or on Facebook.

Cephalopod ID guide for the North-East Atlantic (PDF) by Christian Drerup and Gavan M Cooke of The Cephalopod Citizen Science Project or on Facebook.

Additional Reading

Cephalopod Cognition by Anne-Sophie Darmaillacq (Editor), Ludovic Dickel (Editor), Jennifer Mather.

Cephalopod Behaviour by Roger T. Hanlon (Author), John B. Messenger (Author).

Octopus: The Ocean’s Intelligent Invertebrate by Jennifer A. Mather , Roland C. Anderson , et al.

Super Suckers: The Giant Pacific Octopus and Other Cephalopods of the Pacific Coast by Jim Cosgrove & Neil McDaniel.