At first glance, in the context of a display of octopus pots, this appears to be a professional model, machine made for the job. The flat base would sit well on the sandy depths where an octopus might need to find a hole to hide in. The rounded roof profile makes it easier to pull to the surface to check for a catch. The holes in the sides help to let all the air out on its way back down. The sliding door at the front could be quickly put in place to contain a catch. Altogether a superior upgrade on the usual pot-shaped lobster pot.
But on closer inspection it seems to be even more clever: an adaptation of a rain-water pipe. You’ll notice the traces of cement at the back where the other open end has been filled, though we may assume that the slotted door closure is an option of the original manufactured pipe system and perhaps the holes too are part of the drainage equation. Whatever the truth behind the trap’s origin, we can imagine that it has seen some action in the several thousand year-old habit man has devoted to living well without much money.
