Despite mostly being a scavenger, this creature can hunt. It hunts by opening it's skull home a waiting for prey to swim, when prey gets to close it crunches down sometimes multiple time often turning it's prey into bright velvet mush. These animals are deceptively large and powerful.

Fun fact! Skull Octopuses can whistle, similar to a human in fact, they have very rarely been seen gathering in groups near beaches and whistling to the night sky, how cute.

However....

This species of octopus is often believed to be evil and or predatory to humans, many deaths are believed to be linked to (or to even be caused by) these cephalopods. Their highly feared by locals. Often believed to lure, drown, and steal the skulls of people.

The skulless variant of this species are especially feared by fishermen, locals, and other residents that live around these creatures. One of two reasons are often given when residents are questioned about their fear of this animal.

One of which is the unsolved murder of ##### #######. She was found by the beach missing her head, the upper half of her body was laying in the water. Her head was never found and no suspects were arrested. Locals believe a skull octopus took not her life and her head to turned it into a home.

In their folklore there's a story of a young man who took a stroll down the beach to try and catch some fish. He heard a noise coming from the water, a strange whispery whistling like noise. Legends say all he saw was a beak sticking out of the water and his life was no more.

Old books often refer to them as Skull Sirens.