Octopuses (not octopi) are like aliens on earth. With eight arms and a boneless body, they may look very strange, but their abilities are nothing short of spectacular. Here are some cool facts about octopuses:
1. They have incredible camouflage skills.
Meet the animal with the most skilled camouflage on Earth: The octopus. Octopuses have special cells in their skin called chromatophores, which help them change color to match their surroundings within a second, or less. Octopuses can also change the texture of their skin through papillae, or bumps on the surface of their skin. These nodules can be expanded and contracted at a moment’s notice, allowing the octopus to match the texture of their surroundings. However, fascinatingly enough, octopuses are thought to be somewhat colorblind! This means that color changing clues are delivered not by their eyes, but by their skin. How bizarre!
2. They have nine brains.
While humans only have one brain, octopuses have nine brains in total: one central brain and a smaller brain in each arm. The brains can communicate, but the arms of an octopus literally have “minds of their own”. This explains why octopuses have arms that are more “outgoing” and other arms that are more “shy”. All of these brains help octopuses take in lots of information about the world around them, more information than we can take in. We’re still trying to find out how an octopus perceives the world, and I bet it’s very different from how we perceive it!
3. They can use tools.
Octopuses are one of the only animals capable of using tools, along with crows, some primates and humans. This puts them near the top of animal intelligence. Coconut Octopuses, which lives in Indonesia, are often seen carrying around two halves of a coconut, and hiding in the halves when a predator is near. One Coconut Octopus was even seen using a coconut shell as a shield!
4. They only live for around 2 years!
Octopuses begin their lives alone. Female octopuses spend so much time and energy caring for their eggs that they die once their babies have hatched. Because of this, newborn octopuses must venture out into the wild on their own. All of the hunting and survival skills that an octopus learns are entirely self-taught, which is further proof of their incredible intelligence. Unfortunately, octopuses don’t have much time to learn, as some only live for around 2 years, or less! They sure make the most of their short times on Earth.
Conclusion
Octopuses are fascinating creatures, but little is known about them. Hopefully, after reading this article, you’ve gained an appreciation for our boneless brothers!
Many people believe that the correct pluralization of the word “octopus” is “octopi”. However, this is actually incorrect! The word “octo” is Greek, and the pluralization “i” is Latin, so they do not go together. The most correct pluralization is “octopodes”, a Greek word with a Greek pluralization. However, the accepted pluralization of “octopus” in English is quite simple: “octopuses”.