Pelamis platurus, an unusual item of food of Octopus spec

Representatives of the genus Octopus Cuv. are common along the rocky East coast of the Cape of Good Hope. Very probably most specimens occurring in the area around Port Elizabeth belong to O. rugosus (Bosc) as interpreted by ROBSON (1929). In this region Octopus feed mainly on Decapod Crustacea, although mollusks also form an important part of their diet. Specimens in the Port Elizabeth Oceanarium have been observed to attack and partially devour individuals of Haliotis midae L. of up to 150 mm long. Small fishes such as Coryphopterus caffer (Gunther) (fam. Gobiidae), juvenile Sparidae (particularly of the genera Rhabdosargus and Diplodus), etc., are also occasionally taken. The sea snake Pelamis platurus (L.) (fam. Hydrophiidae) is a wide-spread Indo-Pacific species which is not uncommon along the East coast of southern Africa, especially in the summer season (October-April). All Hydrophiidae are highly poisonous, possessing a neurotoxic venom. According to VOLSØE (1956, p. 91) it is ”particularly toxic to cold-blooded animals”, which normally constitute the prey of sea snakes.