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An octopus (pl.: octopuses or octopodes [a]) is a soft-bodied, eight-limbed mollusc of the order Octopoda (/ ɒ k ˈ t ɒ p ə d ə /, ok-TOP-ə-də [3]). The order consists of some 300 species and is grouped within the class Cephalopoda with squids , cuttlefish , and nautiloids .
Octopuses can maintain a constant oxygen uptake even when oxygen concentrations in the water decrease to around 3.5 kPa (0.51 psi) [22] or 31.6% saturation (standard deviation 8.3%). [17] If oxygen saturation in sea water drops to about 1–10% it can be fatal for Octopus vulgaris depending on the weight of the animal and the water temperature ...
Octopus is the largest genus of octopuses, comprising about 100 species.These species are widespread throughout the world's oceans. Many species formerly placed in the genus Octopus are now assigned to other genera within the family.
Males have oversized suckers in the distal field (at the ends of the arms; far from the body). These enlarged suckers only exist on some arms, while other arms have small suckers throughout. Females have proportionally smaller suckers than males; [6] however, females have more suckers on average. [5] These octopuses have wide heads and large eyes.
It has the common name algae octopus due to its typical resting camouflage, which resembles a gastropod shell overgrown with algae. It is small in size with a mantle around the size of a small orange ( c. 7 cm or 3 inches) and arms 25 cm (10 inches) in length, and is adept at mimicking its surroundings.
About 3.3 million tonnes (3.6 million short tons) are commercially fished, worth $6 billion annually. [3] Over thousands of years, humans have caught them using lures, spears, pot traps, nets, and bare hands. [23] The octopus is parasitized by the mesozoan Dicyemodeca anthinocephalum , which lives in its renal appendages. [24]
Some members of an octopus species hunt cooperatively in groups with fish, a new study found — an indication that some octopuses have richer social lives than scientists understood.
Octopus bimaculoides observed at Nicholson Point in La Jolla, California in August, 2024. Close-up of the chromatophores on Octopus bimaculoides. The California two-spot octopus (Octopus bimaculoides), often simply called a "bimac", is an octopus species native to many parts of the Pacific Ocean including the coast of California. One can ...