Apr 13, 2025, 05:37 PM IST
.A detailed view at top 10 wild facts about the (master of disguise) octopuses.
The oldest known fossil of an octopus ancestor belongs to an animal that lived some 330 million years ago, long before the dinosaurs.
Two of the hearts work exclusively to move blood past the animal’s gills, where it releases carbon dioxide and gains oxygen. Then, the third heart circulates that oxygen-rich blood to the organs and muscles, giving them energy.
The word “octopus” comes from the Greek oktopus, meaning “eight foot,” and its plural form has long sparked debate.
Octopuses aren’t as dumb as Aristotle thought they were.
Two-thirds of an octopus’ neurons reside in its arms, not its head. As a result, some of the arms can figure out how to crack open a shellfish while the rest of the animal is busy doing something else, like checking out a cave for more edible goodies.
The ink also physically harms enemies. It contains a compound called tyrosinase, which, in humans, helps to control the production of the natural pigment melanin. But when sprayed in a predator’s eyes, tyrosinase causes irritation.
To survive in the deep ocean, octopuses’ blood is powered by a copper-containing protein called hemocyanin, instead of the more common, iron-based hemoglobin in human blood.