The octopus is one of the marine animals, it has eight long arms that take the form of tentacles full of suckers, and it is classified within the group of mollusks that also includes squid, snails, oysters, and other creatures.
The body of the octopus is connected to each other; The head is barely separated from the rest of the organs and limbs.
The octopus is distinguished by the fact that it has large compound eyes, and that all its arms are covered with two rows of suckers that help it cling to things very strongly.
Biological description of octopus
The octopus has a soft and supple body that is protected by a tough covering that envelops its entire body and gives it its shape, called the veil.
This animal has eight arms that connect with its head with a tissue of cells at its bases.
On the underside of each arm are rows of round muscles that work like sucking funnels, and are able to stick to things firmly, and if the octopus loses one of its arms, a new one grows in its place.
The sense of sight of this organism is good; As he has two sophisticated compound eyes, and he has a full mouth, unlike all other invertebrates.
Octopuses get their share of oxygen with gills that extract this gas from the water, just like fish. Octopuses swim by forcing water through a tube at the bottom of their head; This water pump pushes it backwards.
His body contains small sacs containing pigments, and these sacs communicate with his nervous system, and thus he can excrete ink from his body when he wants.
Octopus life cycle
Octopuses usually live alone, and they meet for mating, after which the female lays a cluster containing a huge number of eggs that may
approach a hundred thousand eggs, and the eggs stick to a rock, and it takes about two months to hatch, and throughout this period the mother takes care of the eggs and guards them carefully, and for this reason
They do not hunt or eat anything, however, the young are able to search for their food and obtain it as soon as they leave the eggs.
The young remain helpless for several weeks; Where the sea currents carry them back and forth with them, and they cannot resist them, and then they rush to hide near the bottom of the sea.
Octopuses are creatures that do not live - by nature - for long periods, and therefore they grow very quickly.
As its weight increases by approximately 5% every day, and after a short period of time, the octopus becomes able to reproduce.
Ecology and habitat of octopuses
Octopuses live in all the oceans of the world, but they are more numerous and diverse in the warm seas around the equator, and they may be found near
shallow water sometimes or within several meters below the surface of the water, but they tend to stay at great distances from the surface, and therefore
they are called - and their squid relatives - in the name of the monsters of the depths; Where octopuses prefer to spend their time near the ocean floor.
This animal is solitary; He lives alone and turns away from other creatures as well as from his own kind, and he has a den in which he hides for long times consisting of
rocks and stones, and the octopus may add a stone door to his dwelling to close it on himself when he enters it.
Octopuses may be present at dawn or sunset in the deep and cold waters that rise from the depths, as they are active at these times to search for their food, and octopuses are considered carnivores; They feed on
other invertebrates and fish, and their food often consists of crabs, prawns and lobsters, and in rare cases they can attack very large creatures, such as sharks.
The usual way the octopus hunts is to pounce on its victim suddenly from above and cling to it tightly, taking advantage of the suckers in its arms, and then attract its prey to its mouth to devour it.
The defensive characteristics of the octopus
The average octopus lives for a period ranging from one to two years, and it faces many enemies and dangers in its environment, so that it has adapted to prepare defensive mechanisms to confront them.
One of the octopus' best - and most impressive - defense capabilities is its ability to camouflage its skin like a chameleon. Some octopuses have a
network of pigment cells and special cutaneous muscles that allow them to purposely change the color and pattern of their skin, so that it blends more in with its surroundings.
Many predators fail to distinguish camouflaged octopuses by the color of their skin. Sharks and seals may pass by without noticing it.
This animal has alternative defense mechanisms; It is able to launch a black cloud of ink towards its predators, which works to confuse
the enemy and hinder his sense of sight for a period of time, so that it is sufficient to give the octopus an opportunity to escape and escape.
In addition, octopus ink contains a substance that affects - temporarily - the sense of smell of its enemy, and then it becomes difficult to trace it. In addition, the octopus can swim very quickly when
sensing danger, as it has a propulsion mechanism that allows it to pump water behind it to increase its speed, and even its soft body allows it to squeeze itself into very narrow cracks between
the rocks so that no larger creature can follow it. In the end, if the enemy succeeds in catching the octopus, it separates one of its arms from its body to let the predator cling to it, while it flees.