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- Octopus means eight feet in Greek. The radial limbs attach directly to a large head called the mantle – a characteristic of cephalopods, including the squid and the cuttlefish.
- Over 300 species of octopus roam every ocean on Earth. Some are under an inch, while others grow up to 30 feet. The lightest adult octopus weighs less than a gram.
- Ancient cephalopods had protective shells. However, the load slowed them down. Creatures who ditched these got faster, enabling them to catch prey and evade predators.
- They did not always have eight arms. In 2022, researchers published a study on a vampyropod fossil with ten functional limbs. It is the oldest known octopus ancestor at 328 million years old.
Mar 13, 2024 · Learn about the ancient, intelligent and mysterious creatures that inspire fear and admiration. Discover their fossil history, anatomical quirks, behavioral traits and more in this article from Smithsonian Magazine.
- What Are Octopuses?
- Self-Protection
- Super Smart
- Habitat and Behavior
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Octopuses (or octopi, if you prefer) are cephalopods, invertebrates that also include squid and cuttlefish. They have bulbous heads, large eyes, and eight very useful arms. “Cephalopod” is Greek for “head-foot,” which makes sense, since their limbs are attached directly to their head.
Octopuses are highly intelligent animals, masters of camouflagethat have evolved an array of tricks over tens of millions of years to avoid or thwart would-be attackers. They can match the colors and even textures of their surroundings, allowing them to hide in plain sight. If a predator gets too close octopuses can escape quickly, shooting themsel...
The octopus’s arms are lined with hundreds of suckers, each of which can be moved independently thanks to a complex bundle of neurons that acts as a brain, letting the animal touch, smell, and manipulate objects. Octopuses can open clamshells, maneuver rocks—even dismantle the filtration systems of an aquarium tank. They can also develop opinions a...
There are around 300 species of octopus and they are found in every ocean. Most live on the seafloor, but some, like the paper nautilus, drift nearer to the surface. Octopuses mostly feed on crabs, shrimp, and mollusks. Solitary animals, they typically live alone, sometimes in dens they build from rocks, sometimes in shellsthey pull over on top of ...
Learn about octopuses, the intelligent and versatile cephalopods that can camouflage, escape, and manipulate objects. Find out how many hearts they have, how they live, and what they eat.
Apr 15, 2024 · Learn how octopuses use their eyes, arms, skin, and taste to hunt, hide, and communicate. Discover their intelligence, diversity, and challenges in captivity.
- Octopuses have three hearts that pump blue, copper-based blood.
- An octopus is a mollusk, like clams and shells; however, through evolution, it lost its shell.
- Octopuses are found in all oceans at every depth.
- All octopuses are venomous. Their venom contains enzymes that help digest their food.
Learn about octopuses, sea animals with rounded bodies, bulging eyes, and eight long arms. Find out how they hunt, hide, communicate, and change color in different habitats and depths.
Learn how octopuses have multiple brains, use tools, recognise people and more. Discover the amazing intelligence and behaviour of these cephalopods with examples and videos.
