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An encounter with a very rare veiled octopus is recorded by a biologist on Instagram

In one of life’s rare opportunities, an elusive and very rare veiled octopus was spotted by New Zealand biologist Jacinda Shackleton, who recorded the occasion in two posts on her personal Instagram profile.

“When I first noticed it I thought it might be a younger fish with longer fins, but as I got closer I noticed it it was a female veiled octopus and I was overwhelmed with a complete sense of joy and excitement,” Shackleton told The Guardian. .

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The veiled octopus is one of the animals with the greatest gender dimorphism in nature: while females reach almost two meters (m) in length, males barely exceed 2.5 centimeters (cm). The name refers to the almost transparent membrane that connects the dorsal and lateral tentacles in females.

It is one of the few animals completely immune to the venom of the Portuguese caravel, a colonial animal very similar to the jellyfish. Caravel venom has been responsible for the death of humans in the past, due to its intensely painful action, which can reach the lymphatic system, mimicking the symptoms of a strong allergic reaction (closing of the throat, various swellings, etc).

Females have even been known to rip the tentacles off Portuguese caravels and take them with them for protection.

“I started shouting into my snorkel: ‘It’s a veiled octopus!’ I was so excited it was hard to hold my breath to dive in and film [o animal]“, she commented.

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