Hobbies And Interests
Intelligence and Camouflage
An octopus is considered one of the most intelligent invertebrates on the planet. Some scientists believe that these creatures retain short-term memory and can even perform specific tasks when trained. In a report by the Scientific American released in February 2009, comparative psychologist Jennifer Mather of the University in Lethbridge in Canada said that octopuses are intelligent because they understand information and use what they've learned to make their lives easier.
Aside from intelligence, an octopus is also great at camouflage. Its skin is composed of chromatophores, which are cells that can change color and bend the reflection of light. When it senses danger, it quickly copies the colors of its surroundings to hide. Aside from this, it can also contract its skin so that it will look different. Some octopuses imitate rocks and corals when in danger.
Arms and a Beak
The octopus' appendages are more appropriately called "arms." Of equal length, each arm bears one or two rows of cup-like suckers, depending on the species. The arms are joined at their bases to form the "skirt," which is a web of tissue connecting the arms and the head of the octopus.
At the center of the skirt lies a horny, parrot-like beak with a rasp-like tongue, known as the "radula." Although the beak is sharp, it is merely used for eating. The octopus typically flees to safety when threatened by predators.
Three Hearts and One Method of Reproduction
The octopus has three hearts in its circulatory system. Two of these supply blood into each of the creature's gills, while the third one brings blood to the other organs.
Sperm from the male are massed together in packets called spermatophores. One of the male's arms, the hectocotylus, is adapted at the tip for transferring the spermatophores into the female. In some forms, such as argonaut octopuses, the modified tip is broken off and left within the female after mating.
Offspring and Longevity
The female octopus guards and monitors the eggs until they hatch. This period may last up to several months, without the hatchlings going through a larval stage. Many of the smaller octopuses die after reproducing, which occurs at an estimated five months to about five years.
The longevity of the larger forms is unknown. Most of these creatures generally have a very brief lifespan depending on the species. For instance, the male Pacific octopus -- the largest octopus species -- can live up to four years, while its female counterpart can survive to three and a half years.