Invertebrate · GBIF taxon 5856039
Coconut Octopus
Amphioctopus marginatusAlso known as Veined Octopus
Coconut octopuses inhabit sandy benthic environments across the tropical Indo-Pacific, where natural cover is notoriously scarce. To protect themselves, these clever invertebrates gather discarded coconut husks or bivalve shells, stacking and carrying them along the seafloor using a specialized stilt-like bipedal walk. When threatened, they pull the shell halves together around their body to form a neat, impenetrable armored sphere.
Tool UserIntelligentMarine
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Crabs
- Shrimp
- Clams
Predators
- Sharks
- Moray Eels
- Large Groupers
ThreatsMarine pollution, coastal habitat destruction, and climate change
HabitatsShallow tropical waters, sandy substrates, and muddy seafloors
Life span1–2 years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderOctopoda
- FamilyOctopodidae
- GenusAmphioctopus
- SpeciesAmphioctopus marginatus
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe from a respectful distance while diving or snorkeling.
Responsible observation
- Watch from Above: Maintain neutral buoyancy and float quietly to watch shell-gathering behavior without causing disturbance.
- Avoid Touching: Direct handling stresses the octopus and causes it to abandon its hard-won shell armor.
- Look for Shells: Scan open sandy flats for half-buried coconut husks or clam shells moving unnaturally across the sea floor.
Venomous Kin "Greater blue-ringed octopus (Hapalochlaena lunulata)" by krokodiver is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/. · cc-by-sa
Image unavailableBenthic Neighbor 
Clever Relative "Mimic octopus (Thaumoctopus mimicus)" by krokodiver is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/. · cc-by-sa
Family Member albert kok / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
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