What is an Octopus?

The octopus is a mollusk that is further classified as a cephalopod. It has eight arms covered with suction cups and a beak in the middle. It usually lives in shallow waters of oceans or rivers. The giant pacific octopus is recorded as the largest species of octopus, whose arms are about 13 feet long.

Diet of an Octopus

Octopuses feed on fish, crabs, and other mollusks like clams.

Predators 

Octopus predators include sharks, eels, dolphins, and other large fish.

Octopus Features

Octopuses have everything you need to survive in the ocean and deal with predators, plus more amazing features.

Jet Propulsion

Octopuses can flee with a maximum speed of 4 miles per hour. This is how they do it: Octopuses have a funnel near their head. Water enters through the funnel and into the mantle. When the octopus contracts it’s funnel muscles, the water in the mantle shoots out, and the octopus moves backward.

Camouflauge

Octopuses can blend in with their surroundings to hide from predators. They have cells called chromatophores on their skin that change into the color of their surroundings.

Ink Defense

If the camouflage trick of the octopus does not work, the octopus is ready. It releases a type of ink that is poisonous, even to the octopus itself! The octopus uses its ink defense combined with its jet propulsion to escape from predators.

Arm Regeneration

If the octopus, even with its defense powers, has a narrow escape and gets one of its arms chewed off, the octopus doesn’t have to worry. In about a month or two, the arm will grow back!

Einsteins of the Sea

The last feature of the octopus is its brain power: octopuses are smart. They are known to be the smartest invertebrates in the animal kingdom.

With all these defenses and techniques in one animal, it is easy to say that the octopus is indeed the superhero of the sea.