Octopus nursery
26-08-2023
01:16 PM
1 min read
Overview:
Recently, marine scientists have discovered a new Octopus nursery off the coast of Costa Rica.
About Octopus nursery:
- The newly found nursery is almost two miles below the surface of the Pacific Ocean.
- This nursery belongs to the genus of Muusoctopus, and don’t have ink sacs - an organ found in most cephalopods.
Key facts about Octopus
- It is a marine mollusk and a member of the class Cephalopoda, more commonly called cephalopods.
- Cephalopoda means “head foot” in Greek, and in this class of organisms the head and feet are merged.
- A ring of eight equally-long arms surround the head. They use their arms to "walk" on seafloor.
- The undersides of the arms are covered with suction cups that are very sensitive to touch and taste.
- The sack-like body is perched atop the head, which has two complex and sensitive eyes, while the mouth is on the underside.
- They have three functioning hearts.
- Two of the hearts work exclusively to move blood to the gills, while the third pumps blood through the rest of the body.
- Their blood is copper-based which is more efficient at transporting oxygen at low temperatures and makes their blood blue in color.
- They are solitary creatures excellent at camouflaging and concealing themselves.
- They are about 90 percent muscle, and because they lack bones, they can fit through very small spaces.
- Their skin contains cells called chromatophores that allow the octopus to change color and pattern.
- They are found in every ocean of the world.
Q1) What are Cephalopods?
Cephalopods are a group of marine animals that belong to the class Cephalopoda. They are characterized by having a distinct head (cephalo-) and foot (-pod), which is often modified into arms or tentacles. Cephalopods include familiar creatures such as squids, octopuses, cuttlefish, and nautiluses.
Source: Third active Octopus nursery found beneath waves of Costa Rica. Watch