CREATURE FEATURE: OCTOPUS Octopuses are characterized by their eight arms, usually bearing suction cups. They have almost entirely soft bodies with no internal skeleton which allows them to squeeze into very small spaces to hunt for food and escape from predators Their beak, similar in shape to a parrots beak, is made of chitin and is the only hard part of their bodies. Octopuses have a relatively short life expectancy; some species only living for as little as six months. Larger species, such as the giant pacific octopus, may live for up to five years under suitable circumstances. However, reproduction is a cause of death: males can only live for a few months after mating, and females die shortly after their eggs hatch due to a self-inflicted starvation period of approximately one month spent taking care of their unhatched eggs. Octopuses are highly intelligent, possibly more so than any other order of invertebrates. The exact extent of their intelligence is much debated among biologists but maze and problem-solving experiments have shown evidence of a memory system that can store both short and long-term memory. An octopuss primary defence is to hide, or through camouflage. Secondary defences are a fast jet propelled escape, and or distraction by ejecting ink clouds and detaching limbs. A few species, such as the mimic octopus, have a fourth defence mechanism. They can combine their highly flexible bodies with their colour-changing ability to accurately mimic other, more dangerous animals, such as lionfish, sea snakes, and eels. The very venomous blue-ringed octopus changes colour as a warning when provoked, becoming bright yellow with iridescent blue rings. Although small and relatively shy, this creature is DEADLY! A little known fact is that the bite is rarely felt by the victim. Although the amount of toxin present is minuscule, there is enough in one bite to kill between 10 to 25 people! Their small golfball size and pulsating neon blue rings make them irresistible to curious children to pick so make sure to educate kids of all ages before exploring rock pools. Look but DON’T TOUCH!
Posted on: Tue, 04 Mar 2014 23:00:00 +0000