Need ID help: What is this weird white appendage the Octopus is grabbing?

[minamin13]

We saw this octopus grabbing onto this weird white appendage for dear life. Does anyone know what this white appendage is? Here is my video:

Octopus at Breakwater, Monterey, CA - Metridium Fields - YouTube

Here is a photo:

 

[live_2_dive]

Weird...in your video it looks like he lets go of it right at the end...any chance to examine?


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PADI Rescue/DM 09100Z7445
Dr Dive/Wet Dream/Sea Cobra/Y-Knot/H2OBelow

Diving is my passion...I live to dive!

 

[minamin13]

No, we didn't get a chance to. We were distracted by a nudibranch

 

[Tigerman]

No, we didn't get a chance to. We were distracted by a nudibranch

I know how THAT goes - pretty much the only creature better at it is blennies

 

[deadbilly]

Looks like an Echiuran worm: the fat innkeeper worm, Urechis caupo.

 

[minamin13]

Hmmm, that makes sense. It would explain the pinkish hue in the photo. It would also explain the slime on my suit. According to the following source, they excrete a slime.

Fat innkeeper worm, Coastal Wetlands, Invertebrates, Urechis caupo

---------- Post added November 25th, 2012 at 03:18 PM ----------

This was the nudibranch we were distracted by: a rainbow nudibranch that swam to us after videotaping the octopus.


---------- Post added November 25th, 2012 at 03:19 PM ----------

This was the nudibranch we were distracted by: a rainbow nudibranch that swam to us after videotaping the octopus.

 

[live_2_dive]

Looks like an Echiuran worm: the fat innkeeper worm, Urechis caupo.

Crazy, I've never heard of these. Learn something new everyday


-------------------------------------------
PADI Rescue/DM 09100Z7445
Dr Dive/Wet Dream/Sea Cobra/Y-Knot/H2OBelow

Diving is my passion...I live to dive!

 

[MbWaterdog]

I agree, looks like an innkeeper worm. Saw quite a few of these on a night dive at the breakwater about 3 weeks ago, however, they were buried in the sand. Looks like the octopus here is trying to chow down!

 

[g1138]

deadbilly beat me to it. My guess goes w/ a fat inkeeper worm.

 

[drbill]

Wow... didn't realize fat innkeepers were that big!