The Violet Blanket Octopus

Due to the scarcity of sources and scientific studies on this remarkable marine creature, famous for its striking purple “blanket,” I initially assumed it was one of the mysterious inhabitants of the deep sea, much like the Vampire Squid. However, after taking a closer look and narrowing my search to some of the rarest cephalopods, particularly octopuses, I arrived at a surprising conclusion.

The extraordinary creature that approached the kayak of young sea enthusiast and paddler Abdullah bin Suleiman Al-Hadi in the early morning was in fact a female Violet Blanket Octopus (Tremoctopus violaceus), a species belonging to the genus Tremoctopus. Until recently, this species had never been scientifically documented in Omani waters.

Its first documented appearance came after I published an article about a specimen discovered by Ahmed bin Abdullah Al-Siyabi while fishing at night from Al Mawaleh North Beach in Seeb in January 2023.

A few days later, Fahad bin Khamis Al-Farsi managed to film another individual at Jebel Sifah Marina, capturing a short video of the octopus swimming gracefully and calmly beneath the boats. This was perhaps the first recorded daytime observation of the species in Oman and provided compelling evidence that its geographic range extends into Omani waters.

Although I subsequently received reports of several sightings near Ras Al Hadd, none were photographically documented. The only exception was an image said to show a specimen washed ashore at Makhaylif Beach in Saham, though I was unable to verify its source.

The recent footage recorded by Abdullah bin Suleiman Al-Hadi in the waters of Al Qurm therefore represents a third confirmed sighting and provides further proof that this fascinating oceanic species, while still rare, is becoming a recurring visitor to Oman’s coastline.

The repeated appearance of the Violet Blanket Octopus along Oman’s shores is unlikely to represent normal coastal behavior. Rather, it is probably a consequence of the Sultanate’s unique geographical position. Oman overlooks the Sea of Oman, the Arabian Sea, and the Arabian Gulf, while maintaining direct access to the Indian Ocean. Its extensive coastline lies at the crossroads of complex oceanographic and climatic systems.

Seasonal monsoon winds and powerful storms generate strong surface currents capable of transporting pelagic organisms from the open ocean toward coastal waters. At the same time, the region experiences intense upwelling events, during which cold, nutrient-rich waters rise from the depths.

While these conditions may attract marine life toward the coast, they can also expose oceanic species to sudden thermal stress, weakening their ability to resist currents and wave action. As a result, this highly adapted open-ocean traveler may find itself an unwilling visitor to Oman’s shores.

The Violet Blanket Octopus is an exceptionally elegant and agile creature that inhabits tropical and subtropical waters throughout the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic Oceans, as well as the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, and the Mediterranean. Omani waters can now be added to the list of regions where this species has been documented.

Females can reach lengths of approximately two meters, whereas males rarely exceed three centimeters. The size difference between the sexes is among the most extreme examples of sexual dimorphism in the animal kingdom, with females outweighing males by as much as fourty thousand times. This represents the largest gender-size disparity of any non-microscopic animal on Earth.

A mature female may weigh around ten kilograms, while a male typically weighs no more than thirty grams. Females generally live between three and five years, whereas males rarely survive beyond two years.

Female Violet Blanket Octopuses feed on small fish, pteropod mollusks, crustaceans and other cephalopods, yet they themselves fall prey to larger predators such as blue sharks, tuna, and various billfish species.

One of the most remarkable features of the female is the expandable membrane stretching between her dorsal arms. Under normal circumstances, this “blanket” is barely noticeable. However, when threatened by a predator, she can unfurl the membrane dramatically, creating the illusion of a much larger animal in an attempt to startle or intimidate her attacker.

When I published my first article about this species three years ago, following the discovery and handover of a specimen by Ahmed bin Abdullah Al-Siyabi to the Marine Science and Fisheries Centre for documentation, I had hoped that the finding would inspire a dedicated scientific study rather than a brief technical note.

This species represents far more than a simple addition to Oman’s growing list of recorded marine organisms. Its repeated appearance raises important scientific questions about marine biodiversity in Omani waters and the role of ocean currents, climate patterns, and seasonal oceanographic processes in bringing open-ocean species to the country’s coastline.

Perhaps most importantly, it highlights the crucial role played by fishermen, sailors, divers, nature enthusiasts, and citizen scientists in documenting marine life. In many cases, major discoveries begin not in research laboratories but with a single observation made by someone with a keen eye and a passion for the natural world.