Article For The Summer

SOME FACTS ABOUT OCTOPUSES

Octopuses live on the ocean floor. They can be found in tropical and temperate waters of the world’s oceans. They tend to hide during
the day in crevices and under large rocks. Octopuses eat small crabs, scallops, snails, fish, turtles, shrimps and other octopuses. They
catch prey with their arms and hunt mostly at night. An octopus uses its sharp beak to crack shells and inject poison into its prey. They
are in turn hunted by man for food. Besides being “hunted” by man, the octopus is also eaten up by seals, sharks and other large fishes.

An octopus has a soft body and eight arms. The arms are very thick and have two alternating rows of suckers. The suckers have “taste
sensors” to allow the octopus to identify food. It is able to re-grow lost arms.

The octopus has an eye on each side of its head and it is deaf. The skin is smooth and octopuses have a range of skin colors. The
common colors are pink, reddish brown and grey. Many are able to change colors to blend with the surroundings so as to hide when

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hunting for prey.

Octopuses are invertebrates – creatures without backbones. Its head contains all the organs. Octopuses are said to be highly
intelligent and had been used by scientists in maze and problem-solving experiments. Their short life spans limit the amount they can
ultimately learn.

The octopus swims by spewing water from its body and propelling forward. An octopus can squirt black ink into the water to mask their
escape from predators. Some species of octopuses live for two to three years while other species may live up to five years.

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The chart shows the overall sizes of some species of octopuses.

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