The document discusses various aspects of octopus biology and behavior. It describes how octopuses have eight arms with suckers that are used to grab and taste things. It moves by breathing and jet propulsion. To protect itself from predators, an octopus can change color for camouflage and squirt ink to escape. It hunts prey like a cat would, hiding and then pouncing to use its arms like a net. Octopuses live in oceans worldwide and come in different sizes depending on the water temperature, with the giant Pacific octopus being the largest.
2. APPEARANCE An octopus has eight arms attached to its head around the mouth. These “arms” have rows of suckers along their length. They are covered with suckers on the surface and many nerves within, which means they are used to both grab and “taste” things. As an example, the Giant Pacific Octopus has two rows of suckers per arm with 1,600 suckers in all. The body of the octopus looks like a bag.
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4. HOW DOES IT MOVE? It moves as the octopus breathes. Inside the mantle (the body) there are 3 hearts, the stomach and other organs. One heart pumps blood through each gill at the end of each of the two appendages. Water flows over the gills and fills the mantle when the octopus breathes in. The water is forced out a tube call the siphon as the octopus breathes out. It can force water through the siphon rapidly and jet itself backwards if the octopus is trying to escape a predator. Using jet propulsion, octopuses travel many kilometers..
5. HOW DOES IT PROTECT ITSELF FROM PREDATORS? When an Octopus is stressed it usually changes colour to either white or red. It can instantly change the color and texture of its skin to match the surrounding area. This camouflage is a major method of protection. When an octopus is threatened and changing colour has not deterred their predator, an octopus can protect itself temporarily blinding an attacker by squirting ink at it so it can escape. This ink is kept in an ink sac that is connected to the end of the digestive system. The octopus has an excellent eyesight and well-developed brain.