#Octopus hearts plus#

They hide during the day, and usually only come out at night and on gloomy days to. Though common in almost every type of ocean environment, octopuses are hard to see in the wild. And in 1999, scientists discovered a type of octopus whose tentacles actually glow in the dark. The Australian Blue-Ringed Octopus has venom so potent, it can kill people. Many species have toxic venom in their tentacles to kill shrimp, lobsters, crabs, snails, and other prey. With special cells called chromatophores, they can change colors instantaneously to reflect their moods or blend in to their surroundings.

Even within species, octopuses are constantly changing their image. There are hundreds of species, ranging in size from less than an inch long, in the case of the tiny Californian Octopus (Octopus micropyrsus), to more than 30 feet, in the case of the North Pacific Octopus (Octopus dofleini), which can weigh 100 pounds. Octopuses have so many cool features, it is hard to know where to begin.

About OctopusesвЂ¦ (Mote Marine Laboratory).

They might need it because octopuses have the biggest brains of any invertebrate. In experiments, octopuses that are kept awake end up needing more rest later on, which shows how important it is that they get enough shut-eye. Their bodies turn whitish in color and their breathing slows down. When octopuses in captivity need sleep, they slump into corners of their tanks and catch a few winks by narrowing their pupils.

And Paul Smith of Fresno, California, wants to know, вЂњHow do octopuses sleep?вЂќ Paul, octopuses donвЂ™t have eyelids.

#Octopus hearts plus#

With all that blood flow, plus a big, smart brain, a squishy body, and fine-tuned senses - especially eyesight - octopuses can act fast to get in and out of tight spots - sometimes not much bigger than a key-hole.Д«ut octopuses can get sleepy every now and then. From there, blood goes to the systemic heart, in the octopusesвЂ™ center, which pumps the oxygen-rich blood to the rest of its body. They sit right behind the eyes and are connected to an octopusвЂ™s gills, where oxygen gets into its blood. Two of the hearts are called branchial hearts. Octopuses need all three hearts to circulate blood through their bodies. The other members of the cephalopod family, squid and cuttlefish, also have the same 3 heart system as the octopus.Are three hearts better than one? And is it possible to sleep underwater? The answer to both questions is yes - if youвЂ™re an octopus. Hemocyanin is less efficient that hemoglobin in regular conditions, but it is much more efficient at transporting oxygen in cold conditions and under low oxygen pressure than hemoglobin. Hemocyanin lacks iron, which makes human blood red, which means that the blood of an octopus is actually colorless and turns blue when exposed to air. Unlike many animals, the blood of an octopus contains the protein hemocyanin, instead of hemoglobin, for transporting oxygen. Many people believe that the blood of an octopus is blue. These two branchial hearts support the main heart, known as a systemic heart, which pumps oxygenated blood through the rest of the body. Two of these hearts are known as branchial heart, which are located at the base of the gills, and pump the blood through each of the octopuses gills.

Although these species have some differences, all octopuses have the same number of hearts.ДЄn octopus has three hearts. There are approximately 300 different species of octopuses and they can be found throughout most of the world oceanвЂ™s. They are classified as a cephalopod, along with the squid and cuttlefish. An octopus is a marine animal best known for their flexibility, and 8 arms that usually have a number of suction cups.