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You are here: Home / Blog / 8 Incredible Octopus Facts

8 Incredible Octopus Facts

Octopuses are some of the most fascinating creatures on Earth. They are incredibly intelligent, and can solve complex problems. They also have a unique ability to change color, which helps them hide from predators and communicate with other octopuses.

How many arms does an Octopus have?

Octopuses have eight limbs. They are classed as six arms and two legs.

Octopuses do not have tentacles.

How Many Brains does an Octopus Have?

Octopuses have nine brains. In addition to a central brain located between the eyes, octopuses have separate “mini-brains” at the base of each of their eight tentacles.

There are around 500 million neurons across an octopuses entire body, with around 40 million in each arm. Because each arm has a mini-brain, each arm can act independently of an octopus’s central brain and other arms. Typically, each arm has roughly 250 suckers. Each sucker may have around 10,000 neurons.

These mini-brains help to make up for the fact that octopuses don’t have proprioception. This means that they don’t have a fixed “map” in their minds allowing them to know what various parts of their bodies are doing. Unlike humans, octopuses don’t maintain a static body shape. Instead, their bodies are remarkably fluid, constantly changing to adapt to the environment.

Thanks to their mini-brains, octopuses can react faster to threats because individual ganglia don’t have to communicate with the central brain. They can also regenerate new arms if one is severed.

Octopuses have blue blood

Just like other cephalopods squids, cuttlefish and nautiluses, the octopuses have blue blood, because they use a copper-rich protein called haemocyanin to transport oxygen. This is much larger than haemoglobin and circulates in the blood plasma. Haemocyanin is less efficient at binding with oxygen than haemoglobin.

However, octopuses compensate for this by having three hearts – two “branchial” hearts, which receive deoxygenated blood from around the body and pump it through the gills, and one “systemic” heart, which takes that oxygen-rich blood, increases its pressure and then circulates it around the rest of the body.

How many hearts does an Octopus have?

One of the most unique traits about the octopus is the fact that it has three hearts. It has one main two-chambered heart and two smaller branchial hearts, one next to each set of gills. 

Their two peripheral hearts pump blood through the gills, where it picks up oxygen. A central heart then circulates the oxygenated blood to the rest of the body to provide energy for organs and muscles.

Octopus are Solitary Animals

Octopuses are generally solitary animals that prefer to spend their time in dens, in which they will remain for weeks at a time. They will only leave to capture food, mate, or escape predators.

A female octopus may live with young ones for some time after laying eggs but apart from this, octopuses dwell on their own.

Octopuses swim Backwards

Octopuses swim backwards by blasting water through a muscular tube called a siphon, they can reach speeds of up to 40 km/h (25 mph) for short bursts. Their preferred mode of movement is to crawl along the seabed.

When they are swimming, the systemic heart does not beat, so they tire easily.

The Giant Pacific Octopus is the largest Octopus

The giant Pacific octopus certainly lives up to its name, as it is the biggest of the octopus species. Adults usually reach an average weight of 60 kg, with an arm span up to 4.3 m (14 ft).

All Octopus are Venomous

Some species of octopus have venom that is dangerous to humans.

The blue ringed octopus are four highly venomous octopus that are found in tide pools and coral reefs in the Pacific and Indian oceans, from Japan to Australia. They comprise the genus Hapalochlaena and can be by their yellowish skin and characteristic blue and black rings that change color dramatically when they are threatened.

Blue-Ringed Octopus

These cephalopods are small, but are in fact one of the world’s most venomous marine animals. A single bite might lead to partial or complete paralysis, blindness, loss of senses, nausea, and resultant death within minutes, if left untreated.

No blue-ringed octopus anti-venom has yet been discovered.

Octopus Squirt Ink

Octopuses can squirt ink. This ink is used to confuse predators, and it can also help the octopus escape if it is being attacked.

When threatened the octopus will release a cloud of black ink to obscure its attacker’s view, giving it time to swim away. The ink even contains a substance that dulls a predator’s sense of smell, making the fleeing octopus harder to track.

Octopuses are fascinating creatures with many unique abilities. These are just a few of the things that make them so special. Octopuses are truly amazing animals, and they are definitely worth learning more about.

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