The octopus is one of the most mysterious animals of the deep. Most people think of octopuses as having eight legs. They actually have four pairs of arms usually containing suction cups. Octopuses also have three hearts. Two of the hearts pump blood to its gills and the third heart pumps blood throughout the rest of the body. The octopus is of the order Octopoda. They are cephalopod molluscs. The octopus has two eyes and no skeleton at all. There are over 300 species of octopus recognized today. Octopuses are one of the most intelligent invertebrates. They have been known to ‘play’ with toys in their aquariums. They are also capable of having short-term and long-term memory as discovered by performing problem-solving and maze experiments. In other lab experiments octopuses have shown their intelligence in recognizing shapes and patterns. The octopus has a hard beak containing its mouth which resides at the center of the four pairs of arms. An octopus is bilaterally symmetric as all cephalopods are. Octopuses swim with all eight arms trailing behind them. Some of them are venomous; but, only one kind is deadly to humans. This type of octopus is called a blue-ringed octopus. Octopuses also have a wonderful sense of sight. Color vision varies between octopus species. All cephalopods, like the octopus, can distinguish the polarization of light. The octopus also has a spectacular sense of touch. Special receptors on the arm’s suction cups allow the octopus to ‘taste’ what is is touching. Octopuses are very behaviorally diverse. They can reside on the ocean floor, around coral reefs or in pelagic waters (any water that is not on the ocean floor or near to the shore). The octopus has many defense mechanisms. Octopuses practice the art of autonomy which means self-amputation. If a predator grabs one of the octopuses limbs it can be released into the predator’s mouth as the octopus swims safely away. The arm can later be regenerated. They are great hiders and utilize camouflage to evade predators. They have a special kind of skin that can change to many different colors and opacity. Sometimes octopuses change color to communicate with other octopuses. Octopuses are fast swimmers and can also elude predators with the expulsion of ink. The main component Category:Home › Other • Pomegranates: A newly discovered superfood • Where did the joke why did the chicken cross the road come from and why is it funny? • Can mothers diagnosed with bipolar disorder make good parents? • Spiritual evolution of human consciousness • Tips for getting a college basketball scholarship • Living with Pseudotumor cerebri (PTC) • Caring for the caregiver • Technologys impact on society