In April 2007, Bruce Robison and his team sent a submersible into California’s Monterey
Bay.
They were amazed to find a female octopus guarding 160 eggs.
Biologists continued to watch her gently filter water over her eggs and protect them from
predators as she slowly began dying from starvation.
For 53 months marine biologists documented the mother octopus.
This brooding period is the longest known for any animal and as the years went by, the
mother octopus refused to eat anything and began turning into a ghost of her former self.
Scientists can only speculate that the mothers make the ultimate sacrifice based on a hormone
but this story of maternal care is just one of the things that are so fascinating about
octopuses.
From using tools to being talented escape artists, here are 10 things about octopuses
that will amaze you!!
10.
The arms have a mind of their own
While an Octopus’ brain is responsible for controlling its overall movement, other parts
of their bodies can actually decide what to do independently of central control.
The central nervous system is very different from that seen in other animals, with two-thirds
of the neurons being located not in the brain, but along the arms.
This is believed to be a way to lighten the cognitive load on the brain, and allow the
arms to do some of the coordination processes, reactions, and problem-solving on their own.
That’s why octopuses seem so smart!!
The independence of the arms can even be seen when they are no longer connected to the main
body… with severed arms still able to respond to stimuli, even if they have been detached
after the whole animal itself has died.
Cephalopod expert Dr. Jennifer Mather, professor at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta,
says that because they have a very distributed nervous system and are so intelligent, they
can anticipate and remember painful and stressful situations.
Eating one alive, like they do in Korea is actually quite painful for the octopus and
terrifying because they will do anything they can to get out.
People who like sannakji risk choking to death on a live animal that they are eating piece
by piece.
9.
They Use Tools
We often see stories of animals like chimpanzees and crows using tools, but octopuses also
do too.
In 2009, researchers in Australia realized something by complete accident- that the veined
octopus they were watching was making use of coconut shells that littered the seabed.
It was collecting them and stacking them, and even stood tall on its legs like stilts
to slide all of these shells to its chosen place to store them.
Later on, it arranged the shells so it could sit inside them and use the construction as
a makeshift shelter to hide and rest.
The coconut octopus is also very famous for doing this, hence its name, since it is so
resourceful with coconuts!!
There are many videos capturing the octopus doing this.
This type of behavior is indicative of a high level of intellect- and future thinking and
planning that is rarely seen in many animals other than humans.
But that’s not even the best use of tools in my opinion!
The blanket octopus has been seen ripping off the stinging tentacles of the Portuguese
Man o War and wielding them like a weapon!!
They will think about what they want to do with something before they even do it.
Because they are scary smart, they will keep themselves busy with whatever they have!
Besides using tools they can solve puzzles, recognize human faces, navigate mazes and
will play with all kinds of toys, from rubber duckies to playing bouncy ball with empty
bottles and water currents!
8.
Suckers are Extremely Strong
The 8 arms of an octopus are covered in suckers, which allow them to capture prey, move rocks,
and move around.
The fleshy part of the sucker that can be seen is called the ‘infundibulum’, which
is surrounded by the mucus-like ‘epithelium’.
To the center of the infundibulum is a round cavity known as the ‘acetabulum’.
Just in case someone asks you for a pop quiz!!!
This entire structure is connected to the arm by a muscle, which allows the sucker to
rotate in any direction, and can extend itself to double the size.
These muscles are combined in such a way that the octopus can actually move an item along
its arms just by using the suckers.
The suction cup shape of the suckers is part of the reason they are able to hold onto things
so tightly- in some cases being able to lift weights of 35 pounds- but there’s more to
their structure that gives them extra strength.
When looked at under a microscope, a series of concentric grooves can be seen on the suckers,
and it’s these ridges that give them the ability to form such a tight seal around irregular
objects and shapes.
7.
They Eat Their Own Arms
Octopuses have actually been witnessed suffering from autophagy… which is basically self-cannibalism...
Under certain conditions, they'll actually eat their own arms!
This isn't normal behavior, but one that they exhibit when they're feeling particularly
stressed.
When an animal is in such a stressed state, they become susceptible to illnesses, and
Octopuses are thought to become vulnerable to a form of virus or bacteria.
The irritation they feel from this infection is very uncomfortable, so biting the affected
region is believed to help relieve the pain.
Essentially by amputating the bad arm, it can prevent the condition from spreading to
the rest of the body, and help stave off any further problems.
A healthy Octopus will never do this, though, and it's a sign that, especially in captivity,
the environment is not suitable for their needs.
For an octopus in an aquarium bad handling and bad husbandry can cause this.
Since they are so smart, they easily get bored too, and boredom leads to stress, and then
severe consequences, which could ultimately lead to its death.
6.
Camouflage
One of the most amazing things about octopuses is their ability to camouflage.
They, like other cephalopods such as squid and cuttlefish, have what are known as chromatophores
underneath their skin.
These cells use a combination of pigment, nerves, and muscles to change their appearance,
and are activated by the neurons in both the brain of the octopus and those that are in
the arms.
Once the signal is sent, the change appears to ripple throughout the body, but there's
far more to it than simply changing color.
They can also mimic textures by altering the papillae on their skin- and can resemble rocks,
sand, and any other surface they happen to be on.
The mimic octopus can even go a step further than this, and change its appearance to look
like an entirely different animal.
It’s very sneaky and will use its mad skills to look like something dangerous like a lionfish
or a sea snake.
Underwater, you never know for sure where an octopus might be hiding!
5.
They Don’t Live Long
Perhaps the most surprising thing about Octopuses is their very short life spans.
For a creature with such high intellect and abilities, they have a life expectancy that's
far less than other marine creatures.
Of the 300 different known species of octopus, the giant Pacific octopus lives the longest
at an average of three years to 5 years.
The common octopus, which is the most widely found species, lives for between 1 and 2 years…
and there are some species that only live for 6 months.
Those in warmer waters tend to live shorter lives than those in colder waters….
And all of this is down to the way they reproduce.
Male octopuses usually die within a few months of mating, and the females die shortly after
their eggs have hatched.
You might have heard that this is because they starve themselves while looking after
their eggs, but this isn’t actually true.
It has been discovered that their death is caused by the release of peptides from two
optic glands in their body, something that is genetically predetermined.
Octopuses that are kept in captivity will usually have these glands removed to prolong
their lives.
This may make you wonder how the species has survived at all… but when they reproduce,
females will lay as many as 200,000 eggs, and once born the infants reach maturity in
as little as 150 days!
And these little guys need to be tough because the ocean, can be a scary place.
4.
All Octopuses are Venomous
The only species that is dangerous to humans is the 5 to 8 inch long blue-ringed octopus,
which has venom so powerful that it can kill an adult in a matter of minutes.
They aren't the only ones to possess venom, though, and it's recently been discovered
that every Octopus species is venomous… although in far lower quantities than the
deadly blue-ring.
Research conducted by the University of Melbourne took hundreds of samples from cephalopods
around the Great Barrier Reef, Hong Kong, and Antarctica, and they found venom proteins
in all of them.
Previously, it had been known that octopuses used their beaks to drill into shelled prey
to eat them, but it wasn’t clear how they killed them in the first place- well, this
research found the answer.
Not only does every species have venom, but all of the various venoms appear to have a
common ancestor.
They also have similar proteins as are found in other venomous animals such as snakes,
which raises questions about where every venomous creature on earth fits into the evolutionary
ladder, and whether they are more closely related than we thought.
3.
They Can Open Child-Proof Bottles
It’s well known that octopuses are very agile, and you’ll often hear stories about
ones who have managed to unlatch their tanks and managed to escape.
This dextrous ability can even extend to opening child-proof bottles, something that they can
learn to do quicker each time if given enough motivation.
Originally, the experiment involved a screw top bottle, containing a tasty morsel of fish
or crab.
Each time it’s presented to them, they open the bottle faster… and one octopus in New
Zealand, called Ozy, managed to use his suckers to open a bottle in under a minute in 2014—the
fastest any octopus has been known to manage it.
After seeing octopuses manage regular screw top bottles, researchers in Seattle’s aquarium
decided to try child-proof bottles!- I hate those things!!!
They hurt my hands!!
On the first attempt, a Pacific octopus managed to open it in 55 minutes but, after some practice,
this soon only took 5 minutes for her to push the cap down before twisting.
The cognitive abilities of octopuses are amazing, and it's a testament to how incredible these
creatures are.
Tests like these are important to find out more about how they learn, but also to keep
them mentally stimulated when they're in captivity, otherwise, they risk becoming bored and depressed.
Don't we all...
2.
Their Arms Regrow
Octopuses encounter numerous threats in the ocean, many of which can result in them losing
an arm- but they needn’t worry, because they are able to regrow their arms whenever
they need.
This isn’t the same process as happens with starfish, because when they lose an arm, a
new starfish grows from the severed arm, as well as a replacement arm growing on the original
star.
It’s also a different form of regeneration than you’ll see with a lizard’s tail,
because these typically grow back weaker and less agile than the original tail.
Instead, an octopus’ arm will grow back as good as new, and it’s all because of
a unique adaptation that they have.
Scientists have been studying how it works to try and help with healing in humans, and
they think they’ve come close.
Crucial to the process is a protein called AChE.
We have it in our bodies, too, where it’s present in our brain synapses and parts of
the nervous system as well as being involved in cell death.
The protein is present in large amounts in an octopus, though, and when a part of their
arm has been damaged or severed, it floods the affected site at a vital time in its re-growth.
It’s thought that the presence of this protein is what ensures the arms can grow back like
new, and at such a speed- from the moment of losing an arm, an octopus can have a new,
fully functioning one within a few months.
1.
They Are Great Escape Artists
Jacques Cousteau in his book “Octopus and Squid: The Soft Intelligence” tells the
story of his friend Gilpatric who brought an octopus home and put it in an aquarium
and then covered it with a heavy lid.
A short while later, he came back into the room and the aquarium was empty.
Where was the octopus?
In his library going through the books, turning the pages with its arm!!!
In 2016, Inky the octopus from New Zealand’s National Aquarium made headlines when he slipped
out of his tank, slithered down the drainpipe and escaped into the ocean!!
As you can see in the pictures provided by the New Zealand Aquarium it seems kind of
a big deal to get to the drain pipe!.
The researchers were able to follow his tracks based on the wet trail he left behind.
He was a favorite with staff because of his curious nature and he loved to push boundaries.
Hank in the movie Finding Dory was based on the mimic octopus, and after hearing some
of these stories, turns out he was more based on reality than you may have thought!!
Thanks for watching!!