The Octopus

Well, well, well, what do we have here? It is a small 4” wide Two-Spot Octopus. Unfortunately for the creature, it is dead. But this is fortunate for the Opal Eye fish which are nibbling away at the arms. Octopus comes from the Greek word which means eight (octo) feet (podes). This animal has eight tentacles or thin and flexible arms. These tentacles allow the animal to grab its prey. Also, on these arms, there are many little suction cups which help the Two-Spot Octopus cling onto rocks and crevices. Below the eyes, and underneath, it has a beak that looks very similar to that of a parrot. This beak allows the octopus to bite and chew its food. The Two-Spot Octopus has really good vision. The crazy thing about the octopus is that you would think it has a huge brain in that head. Well, actually, there is a small brain near its eyes. The “head” is more like a belly. It holds the liver, stomach, and other organs that we have inside the central part of our bodies. The octopus has a special funnel that shoots out water. When the octopus forces water out of the funnel in one direction, it goes in the opposite direction…fast! The Two-Spot Octopus also has a couple of other features that help it escape from predators like the eel and the shark. First of all, it has an ink sac full of black ink. If it is frightened, it can squirt out this ink which will create a confusing dark cloud in the water. Also, it can CHANGE COLOR and TEXTURE so that it matches its surroundings. Cool! If you could change your color and texture so that you would not be discovered, where would you go and what would you do?


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