World Octopus Day

Today is World Octopus Day!

On this day, we celebrate the awesome sea dweller known as the octopus. Octopuses (yes, that's the correct plural, not octopi) are a member of the mollusk phylum, alongside cuttlefish, squids, and nautiloids. 

There are over 250 species of octopuses, living in every ocean. There are no known species of the critter living in freshwater environments, though. They tend to be solitary animals, and they are regarded as one of the more intelligent invertebrates. The legendary kraken of mythology is often portrayed and described as a very large octopus. All species are venomous, but only the blue-ringed octopus (native to the seas of Australia to the East Indo-Pacific) has venom strong enough to kill a human. People have been attacked by octopuses, but in general, octopuses tend to avoid humans. 

Octopuses are pretty cool. They can camouflage themselves by changing their bodies' colors, and regrow lost limbs. Their bodies are predominantly muscle. They have excellent eyesight. Many species of octopus can produce ink to escape predators...well, except for the ones that live deep in the ocean. They also have bluish-colored blood. That's because instead of hemoglobin (which is why human blood is red), their blood contains hemocyanin. Hemocyanin is better at ferrying oxygen than hemoglobin is in cold environments with little oxygen. You can learn more about these cool critters here. And also check out this cool infographic from Daily Infographic.

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