We explain what the octopus is, what its anatomy is like and where this animal lives. Also, what are its characteristics, reproduction and more.
The octopus is the most intelligent mollusk known.
What is an Octopus?
It is known as octopus an invertebrate marine animal, family of molluskswhich completely lacks a skeleton: either internal (like vertebrates) or external (like mollusks, which have a shell).
The octopuses constitute the order of the octopods (from Greek octó“eight and podós“feet”)so called because they have eight mobile limbs with which they can swim, protect themselves or capture their prey, since the octopus is a predator.
It is the most intelligent mollusk known.whose variety of species ranges from small specimens (less than 15 cm) to enormous specimens (some can be around 9 meters).
The behavior of the octopus has attracted the attention of humans since it was able to explore underwater life, especially because its mimetic capacitythat is, imitative.
Octopus skin cells They have pigments called chromatophoreswhose function is to change the color and appearance of the animal instantly when it is in dangerous situations, or to maximize its hunting possibilities.
This imitative capacity can achieve amazing behaviors, as in the case of the imitating octopus or Thaumoctopus mimicus.
See also: Starfish.
Parts of the octopus
The octopus’s tentacles have millions of sensory endings.
The body of every octopus is divided into three clearly differentiated regions:
- Head. In which the octopus’s eyes are located and which contains its brain (a nervous system) and its hearts (three of them: two to bring blood to the gills and breathe, another to propel oxygenated blood to the rest of the body).
- Mantle. The diffuse region that connects the limbs to the head, where the rest of the animal’s viscera are located and from which emerges a horny beak for feeding, a siphon with which to expel water to propel itself, and a urine reservoir.
- Extremities. The eight tentacles of the octopus are strong and muscular, equipped with suction cups on the inner side and millions of sensory endings. Each tentacle is connected to the mantle and head, as it has a direct nervous connection with a highly developed brain that depends on the main one, which gives it amazing separate control of its limbs.
Habitat of the octopus
Octopuses usually change their immediate environment every two to three weeks.
The octopuses They exist in practically all oceansespecially in coral reefs and other regions that provide them with hiding places and a good flow of smaller animals to feed on.
They inhabit both warm and temperate watersat different depths and adapted to different predation strategies, although they usually change their immediate environment every two or three weeks.
Octopus breeding In captivity it is difficult and usually reduces life expectancy of the animal which, on the other hand, is very good at escaping in the most unlikely conditions. That is why other animal species are often preferred for breeding, such as squid.
Octopus feeding
Octopuses are essentially predators.
The octopuses They are basically omnivores.: They can eat anything from small fish, other mollusks and small crustaceans, to algae.
For it They usually entangle their prey in their tentacles. and carry it towards the horny beak with which they tear it. Octopuses are essentially predators.
octopus brain
Its brain is the size of a bird but operates through smaller “brains.”
It is known that the octopus is one of the most intelligent marine animals: whether to solve problems, prepare ambushes or even imitate other marine species (both in color, appearance and behavior) to go unnoticed.
Some species of octopus They are capable of mimicking up to 15 different speciesof which they know by mere observation.
This, however, does not mean that the octopus has a big brain. On the contrary, His brain is the size of a bird’sbut it operates as a nervous system through smaller “brains” in charge of controlling each tentacle, so that the complete animal has a surprising nervous connection and sensory capacity.
This allows you, for example, multitask and independently, or coordinate their limbs to perform a complex operation simultaneously.
The octopus He also has a very developed visionwhich together with an amazing sense of touch, allows you to make very intelligent decisions.
Reproduction of the octopus
The octopuses They are sexual beings, that is, there are males and there are females.. The males fertilize the females by introducing the third right arm into their body, which is not really a tentacle but a reproductive organ called hectocotylus with which he can introduce the spermatophores that fertilize her into the female.
The female then She may retreat to her cave and lay her eggs (about 150,000) in the form of a cluster. For the next month it will remain there protecting them, without even feeding, until the hatching and birth of the young is confirmed.
Predator and prey
The blue-ringed octopus has a bite that is lethal to humans.
The octopus It is a large marine predator but it is also prey to the appetite of larger and more dangerous marine creatures such as large fish, moray eels, eels and even sharks.
Other marine mammals, such as Dolphins, otters and seals make octopus their food.. Humans also catch octopuses to eat them.
Among its strategies to avoid being eaten, the octopus has its intelligence, its ability to disguise, but also with black ink deposits that can be emitted into the water when feeling threatened, obscuring the senses of his attacker.
Other species even have developed a poisonous biteas is the case with the genre Hapalochlaenathe blue-ringed octopus whose bite can kill a man in just over an hour.
Mimicry of the octopus
On a rocky floor, the octopus will appear rough and rugged.
The octopus’s ability to imitate is due to the fact that Their skin is a perfect camouflage mechanismsensitive to its environment and capable of not only altering its colors and visual patterns, but also wrinkling or smoothing itself and thus reproducing the texture of its surroundings.
On a rocky floor the octopus will appear rough and coarse, while in a checkered pool it will appear smooth and replicate the pattern.
Exactly like Visual information from the environment is collected by the animal’s eyes and sent to the skinwhich then reproduces it, is something that still puzzles many specialists.
It is known, however, that octopus skin has millions of nerve endings in addition to the chromatophores necessary to change color.
Octopus fishing
Octopus meat is rich in vitamins, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium.
The octopus It is considered a delicacy in many coastal cuisines. and is part of numerous dishes in different regions of the planet.
Fishing is generally produced using pots or mesh boxes that They enter the sea at night and they are left adequate time for the octopus to enter them. The hatch is then closed and they are removed from the water.
Cooking octopus is challenging, since Its meat has a tendency to toughen and become chewy. if it is not cooked properly. However, its meat is rich in vitamins, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and has a very low cholesterol index. Their tentacles are usually the main dish.
The octopus in culture
The octopus is very common in the mythology of fishing towns.
The octopus is an animal that is very present in human culture and not only as food. It is known that Pictorial representations of the octopus in ancient Mediterranean culturesas well as in mythologies of fishing villages, such as the Hawaiian one.
In modern culture the octopus is present, especially for its tentacles, in stories of maritime explorations such as those of Jules Verne in which the gigantic Kraken sank entire ships that it wrapped in its arms.
Even, in some Japanese woodcuts of the 19th centurycreated by the artist Katsushika Hokusai, entitled “The Dream of the Fisherman’s Wife”, the octopuses are shown having sexual relations with her.
Evolution of the octopus
It is assumed that octopuses emerged, along with the other cephalopods (squid, cuttlefish and nautiluses), about 500 million years agolong before plants were even moved to dry land.
Just like squid (whose hood is an evolutionary vestige), these animals They lost their shell over the centuries initial mollusk, adapting to an agile and fast life outside of them.