the tentacles are out when two
sub-aquatic superstars wrestle for
victory
will the octopus camouflage and poison
its way to the top
or will the squids sharp sight secure
the wind
this might be more mollusk mayhem than
you can handle
it's squid versus octopus
our salty showdown takes place deep
beneath the surface of the pacific ocean
though the scene seems tranquil now
things are about to get wavy
it's time to meet tonight's contenders
let's hear some applause for our
cephalopods
you don't want to hug from this nautical
nemesis
with nine brains three heart eight arms
the octopus is a real life sea monster
these clever creatures have the largest
brain to body ratio of any invertebrate
and they tend to be independent unless
they're mating
roaming the sandy ocean floor the
octopus can squeeze all 25 kilograms of
its body mass into nearly any crevice
they can also camouflage themselves by
changing their color and pattern
using skin cells called chromatophores
an octopus moves via jet propulsion
it sucks in water contracts its muscles
and forces the water out
this propels it forward
with a body composed of 90
muscle and an arm span of 4 meters
octopuses grab and suction their prey
piercing their shell with its hard sharp
feet
to seal the deal the octopus injects a
paralyzing venom called tetrodotoxin
the most deadly octopus species is the
golf ball sized blue ringed octopus
who is capable of killing 20 humans with
its poison
remind me not to get on his bad side
next up is the master of deep sea
deception the squid
this creepy creature has lurked in the
ocean's deep water for 500 million years
reaching lengths of 13 meters long and
weighing nearly a ton
only sperm whales dare to hunt these
spooky swimmers
to feed on shrimp and small fish the
squid uses its eight arms and pair of
lengthy tentacles measuring 2.1 meters
long these tentacles are lined with rows
of suction cups and sharp teeth to
capture and immobilize its prey
fighting in the dark isn't an issue for
this hunter squids are bioluminescent so
they're able to produce light to lure in
their dinner
they also have excellent vision thanks
to their enormous eyes which measure 30
centimeters in diameter
and as if the water wasn't dark enough a
squid can shoot ink from glands in its
body to confuse prey and distract
attackers
which oceanic opponent do you think will
outsmart and out ink its way to the
crown
well drop your anchor and stick around
this is going to be interesting
and they're off the octopus is tucked
away in the sand and keeping one eye
open for potential predators
after all it's used to being picked on
by its neighbors like moray eels and
even fish
the squid glides over hidden from the
octopus
it scans its murky surroundings easily
detecting movement in the low light
the squid notices the sand shifting as
the octopus readjusts its position
the squid is curious and drifts over for
a closer look
it doesn't bother to disguise itself as
it believes it can overpower the mystery
creature
but the octopus also has sharp senses
and fast reactions
it doesn't really want to fight but this
is a life or death situation
it turns to face its approaching enemy
the octopus releases a burst of black
ink buying time to conceal itself in the
sand
well two can play at that game the squid
expels its own dark cloud of ink
the squid spies the repositioned octopus
through the ink and harpoons its
strongest tentacle from a shocking 10
meters away
the octopus recoils one of its tentacles
is now out of commission
[Music]
luckily this fighter still has eight
brains and seven arms remaining
and the lost limb could grow back in 100
days
but right now if it can successfully
inject its opponent with its deadly
venom the octopus could take the win
but the squid fakes out its foe by
rapidly changing direction and gliding
ahead at a steady 24 kilometers per hour
now at close range the squid goes in for
the finish using its beak to tear at the
octopus's soft flesh
the octopus puts up a valiant fight
releasing more ink and struggling
against its attacker but it's not enough
the cloud of ink clears and reveals the
champion
the winner is the squid
had the octopus managed to pierce and
poison his rival the resulting paralysis
would have been enough to turn the
tables
unfortunately the squid didn't give its
foe a chance
the squid swiftly stabbed the octopus
grabbed it head on and tore its flesh
apart
now the squid is the champion tonight
but how would it handle facing its only
predator
the sperm whale
well we'll see who wins on another round
of
versus
[Applause]
you