Wild Animals A-Z

Invertebrates
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Octopus

Intelligent Invertebrate: The octopus — a cephalopod — is one of the largest, fastest and most intelligent of all invertebrates. Its body is rounded with long tentacles lined with powerful suckers that it uses for gripping prey and mobility. Its eyes are humanlike and adept at spotting the next meal.

From Top to Bottom: The octopus is usually a bottom dweller, but some species will use the currents along the bottom of the seabed to move from place to place. The octopus is not very maternal; as eggs hatch, the mother will blow the young out of the den. The young octopuses swim to the surface and float among the plankton for a few months until they're ready to sink to the seabed and begin their life as an adult.

One Enormous Octopus: The world's largest octopus species is the giant Pacific octopus. It's not uncommon for these giants to reach over 16 feet in length and weigh more than 110 pounds. When threatened, the giant Pacific octopus flees behind a cloud of ink.

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VIDEO: Life Under the Octopus Volcano

VIDEO: Octopus Attacks a Diver

EXPERT: A Filmmaker's Descent (audio, video)

QUIZ: Take the Octo-Quiz

TOP 10: A Top Animal Mom

SPECIES: Meet the Blue-Ringed Octopus

WALLPAPER: Download Octopus Wallpaper

PUZZLES: Play Octopus Puzzles

DID YOU KNOW?

Replaceable Arms: An octopus will intentionally lose one of its arms as a decoy to predators, allowing it to escape. A new arm will regrow in six to eight weeks.

Programmed to Die: Octopuses die shortly after reproducing. Males only live a few months after mating, and females are genetically programmed to expire shortly after their eggs hatch.

Three Hearts?: Octopuses have three hearts. Two of them pump blood through the gills, while the third pumps blood through the rest of the body.

Octo-Brainiacs: Octopuses are considered the most intelligent of all invertebrates. Experiments show they have short- and long-term memory, that they can distinguish shapes and patterns, and that they may even possess observational learning.