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Table of Contents
The octopus is a mollusk and an invertebrate, which means it has no bones in its body. The octopus also belongs to a subspecies of mollusks called the cephalopods. This means βhead to footβ and is used as the name because an octopusβs “feet” are attached to its head.
For more fascinating facts about octopus, see below. Alternatively, why not download our comprehensive worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.
Facts & Information
Origins of the Octopus
- The octopus is an invertebrate, and a member of the coleoid subclass of mollusks (Cephalopods), which have a 500 million-year evolutionary history, though Cephalopod phylogenetic analysis is extremely inconsistent and confusing.
- The scientific Latin term octopus derives from Ancient Greek, and is a compound form of okt (eight) and pous (foot), itself a variant form of a word used for the common octopus by Alexander of Tralles.
- The standard pluralized form of octopus in English is octopuses, but “octopodes” in Ancient Greek have also been used historically.
- Cephalopods are also very diversified, with the more complex coleoids (squid, cuttlefish, and octopus) presumably arising from the more primitive nautiloids via a pure terrestrial evolutionary model.
Anatomy
- The anatomy of the octopus consists primarily of seven body parts: the head, mantle, eye, siphon, sucker, tentacles, and hearts. The mantle of the octopus is located behind the head, which is directly opposite the arms.
- The mantle is a muscular structure that houses the animal’s organs. These include its gills, hearts, digestive system, and reproductive glands.
- Furthermore, the mantle’s strong muscles protect the organs and aid in respiration and contraction.
- The octopus has a funnel, also known as a siphon, a tubular opening that serves as a water passageway. The purpose of this funnel will be revealed later in the article.
- Octopuses have eight contractile arms or tentacles, each with two rows of fleshy suckers capable of great holding power.
- The tentacles are joined at their bases by a web of tissue known as the skirt, which contains the mouth in the center.
- These creatures are also known for having a razor-sharp beak that can deliver a nearly clean cut.
- When hunting hard-shelled prey such as crabs, clams, and snails, it uses its radula to drill its way through the hard shells of its prey.
- Aside from the octopus’s unusually shaped body, it has acute vision, which it uses to hunt its prey. It has three hearts that circulate blue blood throughout its body.
- One is a systemic or main heart, which circulates blood throughout the body, and the other two are branchial or gill hearts, which pump blood through each of the two gills.
Lifecycle of the Octopus
- The life cycle of an octopus consists of four stages: egg, larva, juvenile, and adult. They have a unique undersea life cycle in which the male dies shortly after mating, and the female dies shortly after hatching her eggs.
- After four to eight weeks of development, the larval octopus hatches.
- The newly emerged larval octopuses are on their own after the eggs hatch.
- Furthermore, octopods have the appearance of adult octopuses and live at the ocean’s surface. Initially, the octopods drift in the plankton for a long time before sinking to the ocean floor.
- Octopods’ primary food sources during this stage include larval crabs, larval starfish, and larval lobsters.
- Octopuses develop rapidly during their juvenile stage. Because of their constant feeding habits, the juvenile octopus can gain 5% of its body weight every day.
- At the end of its life, the octopus weighs one-third the amount of food it has consumed. Because an octopus’ life expectancy is short, it only lives for three to five years, depending on the species.
- They grow quickly, which demonstrates their ability to efficiently metabolize the food they consume.
- Finally, when octopuses reach the adult stage, they are now sexually mature and ready to mate. Male octopuses use a modified arm known as the hectocotylus to deposit sperm into the female octopus’ mantle cavity.
Octopus Habitat
- Octopuses can be found in every body of water on the planet, typically in warm, tropical water. They can also be found near shorelines, in open oceans, and on the ocean floor.
- Octopuses, like other marine animals, cannot survive without water. If the octopus is left without any sources of water, it can only survive for a few minutes before dying.
- Octopuses typically relocate every 10 to 14 days when looking for a new home. Some even live in bottles or other garbage that has sunk to the bottom of the ocean.
- Also, when it comes to finding a temporary home, they are very opportunistic.
- They can live in a wide range of water temperatures. The fact that species that live in warmer bodies of water are much smaller than those that live in colder bodies of water is fascinating.
- The ability of various species to adapt to different areas of the water is one of the reasons they have survived for millions of years.
Types of Octopus
- Finless, Shallow-Water Octopus
- These types of octopuses live in coral reefs. They have more evolved and complex skin structures than any other type of octopus.
- Finned, Deep-Sea Octopus
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- Dumbo octopuses are another name for this type of octopus. They are benthic organisms that live several miles below the surface of the sea or at the ocean floor.
- Atlantic Pygmy Octopus
- This type of octopus is very small, measuring less than six inches in length. The majority of that is made up of arms, so the octopus’ mantle is quite small. In fact, they are among the world’s smallest octopus species, weighing only one ounce as an adult.
- California Two-Spot Octopus
- This octopus is also known as the bimac octopus. Because their body color matches their surroundings, its overall body color can vary immensely. This type of octopus is usually grayish in color with yellow spots.
- Caribbean Reef Octopus
- With a weight of about three pounds, this octopus is considered medium-sized. They have a very large head and thick arms and move much more slowly than other types of octopus.
- Common Octopus
- The common octopus has received the most attention, and it has been demonstrated that it is extremely intelligent.
- They can perform tasks such as removing food from lobster traps; distinguishing between different shapes; determining the sizes of various objects; and even determining how bright something is.
Conservation
- The natural habitat of the octopus is still threatened by pollution. They are unable to survive in toxic environments.
- Octopus are also fished for food in many Mediterranean and Asian countries, making them vulnerable to overfishing.
- They have a lot of trouble finding enough food, and it could also be dangerous for females to lay their eggs in those areas. Human efforts may sometimes force the octopus to relocate if they are to survive.
- These animals do not fare well in captivity, for they already have a short life expectancy.
- This could cause problems for their nervous system as well as so much stress that they refuse to eat. Some people try to keep them as pets in aquariums, but this rarely works for long.
Octopus Worksheets
This bundle contains 10 ready-to-use Octopus Worksheets that are perfect for students who want to learn more about the octopus, which is a mollusk and an invertebrate, which means it has no bones in its body. The octopus also belongs to a sub-species of mollusks called the cephalopods.
Download includes the following worksheets:
- Octopus Facts
- Octopus According to the World
- Anatomy of an Octopus
- Life of an Octopus
- Species Word Find
- The Kraken
- Three Hearts and Blue Blood
- Masters of Disguise
- Takoyaki Delight
- Eight Reasons to Protect
- Word Building
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Link will appear as Octopus Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, June 5, 2017
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.