by Michelle Reed

Created on: June 21, 2008   Last Updated: August 13, 2009

One of the most amazing and complex creatures on our planet, is the Octopus. This cephalopod is cunning and quite deadly. When you encounter one in the ocean, steer clear, it sees you just as clearly as you see it.

For many years, biologists believed that an octopus had great aim when shooting a stream of ink. Anyone bothering one would receive a face full of black muck for their intrusion. It is now known that an octopus has the keen eyesight of an eagle. Humans have a blind spot in our line of vision, but octopuses have nerve cells that are located on the outside of their eyes, thus eliminating a blind spot. They can see clear images and color that few others are capable of.

An octopus hunts at night. Their diet consists of fish, crustaceans and snails. Any unlucky prey that is caught by the powerful predator will soon feel the sting of venom injected from the salivary glands. Being more of a sessile creature, the octopus uses its tentacles to move along the ocean floor in search of prey. Chromatophores located in the skin of the octopus allow it to blend into the environment.

The use of chromatophores is one of the most unique features of the octopus. In nature, animals, reptiles and amphibians use different forms of crypsis to blend into their environment or take on the look of an element of their niche. Chameleons are quite adept at looking like anything they are attached to through the use of their chromatophores. Cephalopods can not only change their color, they can create intricate design patterns. Cuttle fish, another cephalopod can use it's chromatophores to look like a checker board. This ability is used when attracting a mate or when evading predators. The more flashy and creative the male cephalopod is when displaying for a mate, the better his chances of being chosen.

The nervous system of an octopus is far more advanced than any other invertebrate. Their brains are large, and different areas of the brain control their muscles for swimming and contractions of their suckers, sensory perception, memory and problem solving. Dissection of the octopus brain has aided in research of the human brain. The ability to problem solve is what makes them dangerous to humans. One cephalopod, the Giant Squid, will evade observation from scientists. Camera equipment is repeatedly destroyed when trying to capture footage of the Giant Squid.

Octopus make delightful pets, if you are willing to spend a lot of money to keep them fed. While in college, my professor told of a former classmate that wanted an octopus as a pet. A special tank was built for it and placed in a room full of aquariums of exotic and rare fish. The top of the cage was not fastened to the tank and left a small opening around the aquarium. She noticed that fish were disappearing from different tanks, and at first thought one of the other fish in the tank were changing feeding patterns, until they came up missing too. Hearing a sound one evening, she went downstairs to witness the escape of her octopus from one of the fish tanks and making its way back to its own tank. This is truly unique if you think about it. How many creatures would put themselves back in captivity after escaping? From its vantage point, and with its keen eyesight, the room it was in must have looked like a buffet.

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