1. They can be poisonous
All octopuses are a bit poisonous, but most are harmless to humans. Blue-ringed octopuses, however , are so poisonous that they can paralyze you! Watch out!
2. Octopuses have three hearts
Yes, three! One of these hearts pumps blood around the body, while the other two pump blood to the gills, which is how they breathe. But that’s nothing compared to how many brains they have….nine! Yes, nine! No wonder they’re so clever!
3. They can get REALLY big
Octopuses as big as 30 feet across have been found, and scientists think there may be even bigger ones living deep down in the ocean!
4. Octopuses are celphapods
That’s a group of invertebrate animals (animals with no hard skeleton) that also include squid, cuttlefish and lots of other weird creatures!
5. They can change their skin to camoflage!
Octopuses are really good at hiding – so good, in fact, that they can change their skin colour and tone to fit their background!
6. Their suckers are super strong!
The suckers on octopus arms are super strong and larger suckers can hold up to 35lbs of weight, which is about the weight of a small dog!
7. They can see all around them!
Octopus eyes are built so that they have no blind spot, which means they can even see behind them!
8. They hold grudges
Octopuses have been recorded in captivity squirting water at humans they don’t like! They are able to recognise different people and seem to prefer some to others! So if you meet an octopus, you’d better be polite!
9. They are super clever
Octopuses are some of the cleverest animals on the planet! They use tools to get food and get around, and they’ve been recorded to leave their tanks at night to go and get extra food!
10. They have blue blood!
Yup, octopus blood is blue! This is because their blood has lots of copper in it, which helps them survive deep down in the ocean. Our blood has lots of iron, which is why it’s red! Wonder if unicorns have pink sparkly blood…