Photo credit: Monterey Bay Aquarium
What did the boy octopus sing to the girl octopus?
I wanna hold your hand, hand, hand, hand, hand, hand, hand, hand!
But in all seriousness, the octopus is one cool guy. Here’s are some awesome facts about the cephalopods you may not know:
- Not all eight octopus appendages are arms. Scientists believe two of them act as legs to push them along the seafloor.
- If an octopus uses an arm (or leg), they can regenerate one to takes its place.
- The octopus has a sharp beak and a toothed tongue called a radula.
- The radula is used to drill into the shells of prey.
- Once inside that shell, an octopus can release a poisonous paralytic.
- They have no skeletal structure, but there is a skull to protect the brain.
- An octopus has several methods of protection, including camouflaging their skin by color, texture, and adapting body posture to blend in their surroundings.
- Octopi can change color to reflect their mood – white for fear, and red for anger.
- Octopi can release a purplish ink and propel itself away from a threat.
- They can reach speeds as high as 40 kilometers (or 25 miles) per hour.
- Female octopi release more than 100,000 eggs after mating, but only a handful reach adulthood.
In movie and cartoons featuring an ocean setting, the octopus is usually a main character.
Remember this little guy from Finding Nemo?
Need more octopus facts? Check out the Animal Fact Guide.