Octopus and gigantic crab battle for survival in the ocean

Survival in the ocean is a constant struggle. Every creature must find a way to eat, while at the same time, avoiding being eaten. Predators easily become prey and the balance can shift in an instant. By day, the octopus hides among the coral, avoiding hungry sharks, eels, and sea lions. But by night, this animal is a super predator with a combination of strength, cunning, and flexibility that makes it one of the most deadly hunters on the planet.

This octopus has found a giant channel clinging crab, the biggest species of crab in the Caribbean. The armoured exoskeleton and powerful claws make this crab difficult for most animals to eat. But the octopus possesses a sharp tooth-like part of its mouth that it uses to drill a hole in the shell. This is made more easy for the octopus because it also has a compound in its saliva that dissolves calcium carbonate, the substance that makes up the hard shell of mollusks and crustaceans. With a little effort, the octopus is able to make a hole in the shell and inject a toxic venom that will paralyze and kill the crab quickly.
While this seems like a raging battle, the crab has little chance. It will try to drag the octopus over the reef so it can get to the safety of a crevice or a ledge in the coral. The octopus hangs on and increases its advantage by the minute as the suckers on its tentacles grip the crab better. The powerful arms of the octopus will make movement more difficult and the crab will become worn down.

Possessing the ability to smell and taste with each of it suckers, the octopus can reach into the smallest space in its search for food. With an advanced cognitive ability and a keen memory, the octopus is a force to be reckoned with. Within about twenty minutes, this crab was unable to fight back and the octopus overwhelmed it.