Octopus

 

Octopus comes from the Greek word meaning 8 legs. The proper plural of Octopus is Octopuses, not Octopi. The Octopus is a member of the Cephalopod Family. There are 289 species of Octopuses, making up 1/3 of the total number of species of Cephalopods.

 

The Octopus is very intelligent. It is thought that these creatures have the intelligence of a house cat. Certainly, they are the most intelligent invertebrate. Octopuses have no inner or outer skeleton, which enables them to slip through rocks and other tight places on reefs to get away from predators. The only hard part of their body is the beak, which is shaped much like a bird’s beak. They can shape their bodies, and move their arms to mimic other sea creatures and plants. Octopuses can be trained to do tricks, and often figure out how to get out of their aquariums.

 

The arms of an Octopus are not tentacles, rather muscular hydrostats. These arms have remarkable abilities, including being able to taste. The third arm from the right is generally the sexual organ in most species. As a defense mechanism, many species of octopus have autotomising limbs, which can “fall off” much like the tail of a lizard.

 

Octopuses live relatively short lives. Some species will only live about 6 months, others up to 5 years. It is mating that will kill the Octopus. Males die within a few months after mating, as do females because they do not eat while protecting their young.

 

The Octopus has 3 hearts. Two of the hearts pump blood through the gills, the third heart pumps blood through the body. The blood of the octopus is blue because unlike our blood that uses hemoglobin to carry oxygen through the body, octopus blood uses hemocyanin to carry blood through the body. This is a far less efficient method, making octopuses sluggish. Octopuses swim by sucking in water, and spraying it in jets. They also walk as their second means of transportation. Although octopuses do not see in color, they do have a keen sense of eyesight.

 

In addition to being able to remove limbs as a method of defense, the Octopus uses ink as a defense mechanism. Many species of Octopuses have pigment in their skin that allows them to camouflage themselves in their surroundings. They often use this coloration to make the predator think that it is another species of marine life altogether.

 

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