Octopus and Grouper

Octopus and Grouper, or the eternal struggle between prey and predator. In the case of this encounter it is difficult to define who really is the prey and who the predator. In the video we made, below the coast and a few meters deep, we see two small specimens of Mediterranean grouper or Brown grouper, (Epinephelus marginatus) sharing the same environment and the same area with Common Octopus (Octopus vulgaris). 

Initially we managed to spot the two groupers in apnea, after a few dives these two did not seem too disturbed by our invasive incursions, one immediately doubts that they are interested in something else. In fact, darkening between the holes, an octopus appeared shortly after and immediately put itself on the defensive, camouflaging itself from both the groupers and the divers..

Returning to the octopus and the grouper, octopuses represent the prey par excellence of the groupers of which they are greedy. In our case the octopus seems big enough not to worry about the two fish. The meeting was certainly fortuitous and occasional, but to be considered positively since the groupers had practically disappeared from our coasts. On this site we have often dealt with the subject and as far as possible we will continue to talk about it.

Common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) is a mollusc belonging to the class Cephalopoda. Octopus vulgaris is the most studied of all octopus species. It is cosmopolitan, that is, a global species, which ranges from the eastern Atlantic, extends from the Mediterranean Sea and the southern coast of England, to the southern coast of South Africa. It also occurs off the Azores, Canary Islands, and Cape Verde Islands. The species is also common in the Western Atlantic.

https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octopus_vulgaris

Epinephelus marginatus, the dusky grouper, Brown groupe or Yellowbelly grouper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. This species is the best known grouper species of the Mediterranean Sea and North Africa coast.

https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epinephelus_marginatus