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Octopus are cephalopods with 8 arms. They have no fins.
Octopus inhabit seagrass beds in bays and coastal waters as well as
coastal reefs.
All octopus have a short life cycle in which each female produces 1 egg
mass and dies soon after the eggs have hatched. They are solitary animals and are
often very active during daylight. They live for approx. 18 months.
Octopus appeared approx. 500 million years ago.
By day, when hungry fishes prowl, an octopus hides in its den: under rocks, in holes or
empty shells or shallow depressions on the seafloor. But under the cover of twilight, an
octopus turns hunter, stalking crabs, shrimp and snails.
When it finds prey, the octopus pounces. Holding on with suckers, it cracks the shell
with its beak and injects poison. It usually returns home to eat the meal.
An octopus explores with its tentacles and suckers. The suckers can taste the
difference between sweet, sour and bitter, and can feel if something's rough or smooth.
To grab a crab, an octopus draws up the centers of its suckers to create a vacuum.
Octopuses have tremendous gripping power. It takes 18kg of pull to release the grip of a
1.4kg octopus.
Octopuses are
major predators of rock lobsters and fishing was initially based
on a bycatch in commercial rocklobster fisheries. Some targeted
octopus fisheries now exist and octopuses trawled incidentally
in prawn and finfish fisheries in northern Australia are also
retained and sold.
Octopus -
travel, anatomy, species and other information
Processors, Exporters, Importers and Wholesalers of Octopus
Processors, Exporters, Importers and Wholesalers of Baby Octopus
Octopus Photos
Cooking and Preparing Octopus:
Octopuses have an enjoyable mild flavour,
with a texture similar to that of squids, though more dense.
Prepare the fresh octopus for cooking. Cut
off the eyes and beak. Use the opening to turn the head inside
out and remove the ink sac and intestines. Rinse the entire
octopus under warm running water for one minute.
Cook octopus quickly over a high heat or simmer slowly.
Marinating will help to tenderise the flesh and strengthen the
flavour for enhanced results when cooking quickly.
Octopus is tough at the best of times. Among
octopus-cooking cultures, there are all sorts of recommendations
for tenderizing it.
Greek Style is to beat it against a smooth
rock or throw it onto a cement path 100 times, then rub it on
the rock in a circular movement sprinkling it with seawater
until the tentacles become curly or the membrane between them
can be easily torn. Many Octopus that you buy prepared have been
placed in a cement mixer with rocks for several hours!
Spanish Style is to dip it into boiling water
three times, then cook it in a copper pot.
Italian cooks boil it with a cork (it is
believed that enzymes in the cork tenderise the octopus)
The Japanese beat it with mallets.
Octopus Recipes
Octopus Preparation for Cooking
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