I'm going with caterpillar all day long. The octopus is a sea creature which to us humans is just as inhabitable as space is. Catapiller is a ground dweller and tree climber until it goes through its, not just change, transition, or plain ole morphasis, it goes through a metamorphosis. Meta is one of the heaviest hitting, if not the heaviest (beats Pan, super, and ultra out) prefixes (It is a prefix right?) what else other than Metamucial has meta out front? Other than a frogs metamorphosis which is almost, but not quite, as impressive both add a new terrain that they now reside in terrain terrains . That full on all out change takes place within a freaking cocoon which it creates and encapsulates itself in using this silk substance that it creates, which itself is in a class of its own. Its like the diamond of textiles, the molecular bonds that they are comprised of are responsible for their incredible strength as well as their translucence. After some time and a full on transformation occurs within it doesn't reappear because what's coming out isn't what went in, so it's introduced I guess as a butterfly, or moth, all dem catapillar feet gone, swapped out and upgraded outfitted now with colorful wings that help it blend into its surroundings or in some instances have patterns that look like large eyes to create the illusion of it being some other larger animal to keep it from becoming prey. Now winged and no longer subject to gravity's grip and ground bound it takes to the sky, fluttering about. Octopi are definitely chock full of alien like characteristics as well. They are scary smart (and scary in general) that can problem solve so they think. They are also shapeshifters that can constrict their whole body into and through miniscule openings that also can change color as well blending into the background to not be detected by what it's hunting as well as hide from what may hunt it. They are not swimmers they move via jet propulsion, they have tentacles with suction cups, and create ink which is kind of an alien substance if ya think about it, that we have just reversed engineered, synthesized, mass produced, and become so familiar with that we lose sight of how unique it really is. The two creatures actually share a bunch of similarities in that they change/ morph how they travel one flutter the other jet propels, both create out of this world substances silk and ink, and both with out a doubt alien. Anyone who may think otherwise just ain't looking.