Nature Knows...

KNOWS...



--other cephalopods (squid, cuttlefish, etc.) usually have some sort of external shell, but all known octopus species are without-instead this would be outer shell has evolved "into a firm but flexible sack of tissues."

--they can fit in extremely small spaces-those in captivity have been known to hide away in aspirin bottles, soft drink cans, or even under the floor of the plastic aquaria.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-azBDt0kik

--when hunting, they will chase their prey into tiny cracks reaching in with their long arms to get them out of one sticky situation and into a stickier one...

--when mating time rolls around, they use bright colors to attract attention.

C H R O M A T O P H O R E S

--special skin cells (chromatophores) are what cause the rapid change in color.
--"each chromatophore consists of 3 bags of pigment."
--"by squeezing or expanding the bags octopuses can change the color displayed by each cell."

Colors:

white=fear red=anger brown=relaxation

--"octopuses have the most complex brains of all invertebrates."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8cf7tPoN5o

here's another haha http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aH0JNSIrBA4

--"unlike most other invertebrates, an octopus will make eye contact with you and watch you from its tank as you move around the room."
--"the octopus grabs its prey with its arms and suckers and then injects poison inside with its beak-like mouth. This poison disables the prey and also helps to dissolve the tissue so the octopus can slurp up its meal."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9A-oxUMAy8

--"like Pacific Salmon, octopuses reproduce only once in their life."

*from http://wcs.org/67378/factsheetarchive/factsheet-octopus