Octopus

a purple octopus at the bottom of the sea bed

Octopuses appear in mythology as sea monsters such as the kraken of Norway and the Akkorokamui of the Ainu, and possibly the Gorgon of ancient Greece. A battle with an octopus appears in Victor Hugo's book Toilers of the Sea. Octopuses appear in Japanese shunga erotic art. They are eaten and considered a delicacy by humans in many parts of the world, especially the Mediterranean and Asia.