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Octopuses are members of the Cephalopoda class in the Mollusca phylum. That is a creature that has no skeleton or backbone.
6 fun facts about the octopus!
Here are six fun facts you might not know about these cephalopods:
- “Octopus” is Greek and later became plural as “octopods”. But English grammarians wanted an English variant and so created ‘octopuses’, which follow the conventions of the language. It is believed that other grammarians place Latin plural forms on Latin-derived words. That led to ‘octopuses’.
- Science has recorded more than 300 different species of octopuses.
- The octopus is a poisonous creature. The creature’s saliva contains a poison that paralyzes its catch. Only one species, the Blue Ringed Octopus, is a threat to people.
- The largest member of the family is the Giant Pacific Octopus. The record is an octopus weighing over 600 pounds and measuring over 300 feet in length.
- The octopus is extremely intelligent. They navigate mazes, solve problems and make extravagant escapes for enclosures.
- The octopus can regenerate or regrow severed limbs.
Anatomy of the cephalopods
Cephalopods are distant cousins of the mussel and snail. But cephalopods evolved from those creatures. The cephalopods went through an evolutionary pattern that made them smart predators. According to a fossil of cephalopods, it probably happened more than 500 million years ago.
Keep in mind that the octopus skeleton is hard, if not impossible, to find. Having no internal or external skeletal structures, zoologists are faced with a great mystery when looking at the creature’s evolution.
As mollusks, the octopus has the three main features of the classification. That’s a trio of blue-pumping hearts with copper-rich blood, a layer of mucus covering their epidermis, and a DNA linking them to shelled animals.
The cephalopod esophagus passes food through the brain. There is factual data on octopuses dying as a result of food passing through their esophagus and damaging the brain. Most of these stories revolve around the swallowed prey being sharp or spiky.
While some octopuses are always swimming, many walk on their eight arms. Those are arms with hundreds of suction cups that are used to pick up objects.
Does an octopus have a skeleton?
The octopus is a inverterrate. That trait means it doesn’t have an octopus skeleton. Invertebrates do not have a backbone, vertebral column or other bones. And the octopus is part of a large boneless culture. Invertebrates include: scratch, sea sponges, insectssnails, worms, jellyfish, squids, nautiluses, and calamari.
The earliest ancestors of the animal were mollusks. More than 500 million years ago, the octopus branched out. The creatures evolved in the ocean, developing a frame of advanced anatomical features without rigidity.
Why octopuses don’t need bones
Invertebrates lack any type of bone or spinal infrastructure. But while this would be harmful to most animals, it’s a trait the octopus uses to its advantage.
Like it mice, octopuses can get into spaces that seem impossible, especially given their size. The feature gives them the flexibility to contort their bodies in amazing ways.
They can hide and get to food by sliding into the smallest crevices and crevices. These animals have escaped from aquariums.
Since it lives in the ocean, the animal does not need bones. Instead of an octopus skeleton, they use buoyancy and extreme muscles in their arms to move, swim and manipulate heavy objects. The arm muscles work much the same as the human tongue. Unlike almost any other part of our body that can operate independently, the tongue has no bones, yet it is strong and stretches without any strain.
How does the boneless octopus keep its shape?
Without bones, you would think the octopus would have no control over its body. It should be nothing but a blob sitting in one place.
Despite not having a skeleton, the animal has other anatomical features that help maintain its defined shape. For starters, the well-defined muscle tissue provides the overall shape and allows movement in its many arms. The tough skin is also a valuable part of the structure.
There are suborders of the family, such as the Cirrina, which are exceptions to the boneless rule. They have a semi-rigid shell-like internal structure. You find it in the head. It supports the creature’s side fins on the head. The fins are made of strong muscle tissue and allow these octopuses to swim.
The substance of the inner shell is related to cartilage. It is mineralized as bone. This element also forms the only hard part of the animal, the beak. All octopuses have a beak that is used as a mouth. The mouth is in the center of their tentacles.
The beak comes together in a scissor-like manner in two parts. Its function is similar to jaws. The beak is also used to pierce shells, allowing the octopus to inject its toxin into the prey and get digestive juices into it. The bill is made of chitin. This is a strong material that makes up the exoskeleton found on many insects.
All cephalopods use some sort of beak to crush their food.
Are teeth not bones?
Teeth are bones, but the octopus has no teeth. Instead, they have a strong, hook-like bill.
Although the octopus does not have an octopus skeleton, it does have a radula. It’s like a tongue and other cephalopods and mollusks have them. The radula is lined with hooked tiny teeth that are tiny, super teeth. The octopus uses the radula to break down its food before ingesting its prey.
Hydrostatic Skeleton
The gigantic Pacific Ocean Octopus is the biggest member of the octopus family. They have a so-called hydrostatic skeleton.
A hydrostatic skeleton is formed by a compartment in the body filled with aqueous fluid. The compartment, called the coelom, supports the organs of the coelom using hydrostatic pressure. Soft animals like earthworms, sea anemones, and other invertebrates have this type of skeleton.
Movement is possible thanks to the muscles that surround the coelom. The hydrostatic skeletal muscles contract to change the shape of the coelom. The sliding shape promotes movement. For example, the pressure of the liquid makes the earthworm move in waves. The process alternately lengthens and shortens the being’s body, creating that gliding motion that creeps us out.
Why not octopus fossils?
Scientists and zoologists use fossilized bones to learn about the past of animals. The studies help us discover how evolution affected not only the species but also the planet.
Unfortunately, fossils of boneless animals are tricky. Tissue and softer structures don’t hold up like skeletons do. After dying, the octopus’ body turns into a pile of dissolved skin and tissue. But it’s even more likely that other animals feast on the slimy carcass first.
Although the task is difficult, it is not impossible. Facts show that previous expeditions have uncovered octopus fossils nearly 100 million years old. The fossils showed eight legs with suction cups and signs of ink.
Next one: Bald Eagle Size Comparison: How Do They Compare to Humans?
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