Graph Databases

Colophon

The animal on the cover of Graph Databases is a European octopus (Eledone cirrhosa), also known as a lesser octopus or horned octopus. The European octopus is native to the rocky coasts of Ireland and England, but can also be found in the Atlantic Ocean, North Sea, and Mediterranean Sea. It mainly resides in depths of 10 to 15 meters, but has been noted as far down as 800 meters. Its identifying features include its reddish-orange color, white underside, granulations on its skin, and ovoid mantle.

The European octopus eats primarily crabs and other crustaceans. Many fisheries in the Mediterranean and North Seas often unintentionally catch the European octopus. The species is not subject to stock assessment or quota control, so they can be consumed. However, their population has increased in these areas in recent years due in part to the overfishing of larger predatory fish.

The European octopus can grow to be between 12 and 40 centimeters, which it reaches in about one year. It has a relatively short life span of less than five years. Compared to the octopus vulgaris (or common octopus), the European octopus breeds at a much lower rate, laying on average 1,000 to 5,000 eggs.

The cover image is from Dover Pictorial Archive. The cover font is Adobe ITC Garamond. The text font is Adobe Minion Pro; the heading font is Adobe Myriad Condensed; and the code font is Dalton Maag’s Ubuntu Mono.