The Giant Pacific Octopus is an ugly bastard. It can have a span of 3 metres (if span is indeed the correct term) and every one of its suckers is can work separately.
You wouldn't think something so big and limber and sucker-y would have superpowers, but it has these on top. Not a mere one, but two.
Firstly it has the ability to change colour. There's a proper scientific word for this, chroma-summat, I'd look it up for your education if I wasn't so damn idle. It's not so much about blending in for disguise, it's about psyching out your enemy, it's about shock and awe. It can turn bright red when it gets mad. And that's odd, because under the sea the red end of the spectrum is all leached out, usually.
They told me this when I was on a submarine journey under the Atlantic. Yes, really. Whilst on holiday in Tenerife, of all places. I mean, I just had to, didn't I? I didn't spot this octopus, because they live in the Pacific. Duh. Although I looked out hopefully, in case they go on holiday like we do.
The second superpower of the Giant Pacific Octopus is infinitely more interesting than the chroma-whatsit colour-me-beautiful thing. It has the superpower of Squashing. This tentacular spectacular, with its wingspan measured in yards, has a beak of around one and a half inches. This is the only solid part of its body: made of keratin, like lots of other interesting things (hair, and shark fins, and deer horns and suchlike). It can squeeze its whole body through any gap where the beak will fit, by squishing its internal organs into an almost eternally long drawn out string, brain and all.
It can squidge through the tiniest hole into the hollow centre of a beautiful sharp and spiky coral reef, with only its malevolent beady eye peeping back out. You would never know that something so dangerous was in there.
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