Octopuses (not octopi) are a type of “mollusc” (or mollusk) that lives on the ocean floor. There are 289 types of octopuses, but all have eight arms or “tentacles.” They can be found in many different sizes, shapes, and colors and eat a variety of different animals. They are carnivores, meaning that they only eat meat and not plants. Octopuses are very intelligent and have been seen using tools to protect and defend themselves in the depths of the ocean.
Fun facts:
- Octopuses have three hearts and blue blood.
- Octopuses don’t have any bones so they can squeeze in and out of small spaces.
- Two thirds of an octopus’s neurons (which are what brains need to think) are in its arms. This way, each arm can act on its own and the octopus can get many things done at once.
- The longest an octopus can live is five years. Generally, the larger the octopus is the longer it will live. Smaller species live till about six months.
- A female octopus lays between 200,000 and 400,000 eggs at a time, but can only give birth once.
