The Image of Octopuses is quite a controversy one. They have been part of mysterious, superstitious and spooky stories for probably as long as humans have entered their habitat. Many negative characteristics like being brutal, disgusting, manipulative, uncontrollable and the nightmare of the deep sea have been attributed to them. These adverse features probably come from humans who weren't able to grasp the complexitiy of these animals and feared what they didn't know.

...In order to get rid of the image of a monster that has been constructed around the poor octopus here come 10 Facts you probably haven't known about this remarkable creature...







1. #1
   
   Octopuses are highly intelligent. They the most behaviourally diverse, physically mobile, most intelligent and neurologically complex of all existing invertebrates.



2. #2
   
   Their neurological system is completely different to the human one. Translated into "human measures" you could say they posses 3 hearts and 9 brains. One brain - one third of the neurons - is located centrally in the head and the other two-thirds are in the nerve cords of each of its eight arms. They have a complex and nuanced way of experiencing emotions. For instance, they are able to feel fear, anger, curiosity, joy as well as emotional and physical pain.



3. #3
   
   Its eight arms are also the reason why it's called octopus, a compound form of the greek words oktō ("eight") and pous ("foot"). They can have up to 240 suckers on each arm.



4. #4
   
   Due to highly sensitive chemical receptors they simultaneously taste and touch with their arms.



5. #5
   
   Their arms move completely seperate from each other and they regrow when they are injured.



6. #6
   
   They have an incredible memory and sense of orientation. labyrinth experiments show they are highly teachable. After having passed an unknown tunnel system, next time they immeadiatly know their way out.



7. #7
   
   They are true masters of camouflage, mimicry and escape. They can completely camouflage themselves in their environment. Octopuses actively imitate other marine animals not only by copying the body shape and the behavior but also by using their chromatophores (complex skin cells) to change their skin colors and patterns rapidly. Moreoever, they are great escapers not only because their soft body helps them to get throguh the tiniest crevices but also because they use their ink to distract enimies.
   You wanna learn more about this specific topic? Click here



8. #8
   
   Further more the female octopus is considered to be the hardest working mom on the planet. She is pregnant for 4-5 months, carrying the eggs inside her body until one day, in mid winter, when the water temperature is right, she starts expelling her eggs, one by one, into the water. She produces about 56,000 individuals (this will take her about a month), who float free until she gathers them into groups, then stitches them into hanging braids, like a curtain. Until the babies hatch she will fan oxygen to the eggs with her arms working day and night. You wanna find out how this looks?Click here





9. #9
   
   The octopus babies are on their own from day one as their mothers dies right befor they hatch because she is exhausted to death from all her work, giving birth and caring for the eggs.



10. #10
    
    Knowing that octopuses don't grow up with a 'parent' that protects them and guides them how to survive and behave, their impressive intelligence and behaviors have to be genetically and instinctively determinted as they don't learn from other octopusses or imitate them.