Why know him?
“I am among the most curious and daring animals that you can meet in your marine forays, I fear nothing so do not think of scaring me! But come and meet me because I have a lot of things to teach you!"
How do we recognize the octopus
The octopus is obviously known unanimously together with potatoes, but in addition to being a flagship dish of Italian cuisine, it is an animal and an animal with a thousand resources! In this article we want to tell you about it just as it deserves from the height of its intelligence and pride!
"How do you recognize me? It's very simple! I am one of a kind!"
I'm a mollusk, so I have a soft but very robust body.
My size can vary depending on the species but on average you will find me about a meter long and 7/8 kg if I am chubby enough.
I am all head and tentacles, that's why I am part of the cephalopod family!
I have 8 tentacles that allow me to eat, move on the bottom and even reproduce! They can do everything!
I am able to change color based on the environment I am in and my mood, so don't make me angry or I will turn all red!
I am a very skilled and clever predator, I lost my shell unlike my other mollusc relatives and I have become a record swimmer!
My first cousins are the octopus, squid, calamari and cuttlefish.
The octopus female is not my girlfriend but another species, a little smaller than me, red with white spots.
The life of the octopus
Particularly interesting is the life cycle of the octopus that begins with a truly pompous mating where the two octopuses are close together and completely exposed. At this moment it is very clear to understand their intentions because they change color in a lightning-fast and intermittent way: the female becomes all white and the male all red with the protuberances of his skin clearly visible. The mating is very discreet because the male inserts a modified tentacle (hectocotylus) into the female's body with a package called spermatophore that will then allow him to fertilize her eggs. These small eggs are not released into the environment but the female "hangs" them in her safe den, taking care to oxygenate them until the moment of hatching. The drama of this assiduous and important parental care does not allow the female to feed for weeks and therefore once the eggs have hatched the female dies.
The mimicry of the octopus
The octopus is one of the undisputed masters of camouflage, but how does it do it?
"I have very special cells called chromatophores, and I have lots of them!"
The chromatophores contain yellow, red and black pigments, arranged on different levels and with their own innervation. These are distributed in the cell based on the stimuli of the central nervous system and the endocrine system, modifying the color of the cell itself and, consequently, of the skin.
It can also change color based on mood and the mechanism is always the same. A true master, however, proves himself by knowing how to do something unique and in fact only he can create "wrinkles and protuberances on the skin" capable of increasing the resemblance to the background (homeomorphism).
"It's not for nothing that I'm the smartest mollusk on the planet!"
Where we look for octopus
The octopus lives on the seabed always sheltered in some cave or crevice that it uses as a den. Therefore, before looking for an octopus we must look for its den!
Despite its superfine intelligence, its greed easily reveals its hiding places; in fact, often and willingly around their dens there are remains of empty and cracked shells.
"I prefer take-out meals, catching small fish, molluscs and crustaceans and then eating them calmly at home.
A little evil genius!"
There is also a plan B for finding a den: the octopus often creates a sort of "wall" and closes itself inside the den to rest and not be disturbed. How does it do it? It uses the stones it finds around and places them one on top of the other until it has created a wall. These stones, however, are very different from each other and it is clear that they are not there by chance or in a "natural" arrangement, not to mention that when the octopus comes out it knocks down the wall and they arrange themselves in a singular way that catches the eye of an average expert observer!
These are the "easiest" methods, but we would like to remind you that octopuses are masters of camouflage so it is possible to see them even outside their den but they will do everything not to be noticed! So keep your eyes open, friendly fins! And remember that the only thing they cannot camouflage are the suckers on their tentacles!
How do we behave with the octopus?
Once we have found the octopus, what do we do? Actually, NOTHING! It is a very curious animal so if it likes it, it will come closer to us to scrutinize us better, especially if we have a camera, they are very interested in photography so much so that it would be advisable not to get too close to them because they will try to steal it from us. To truly respect these animals, it is of fundamental importance not to touch them, a clumsy movement on our part could scare them and make them react to defend themselves. We can also observe them from close up if we are delicate but if the octopus starts to get agitated and turn red, it is better to leave them to their business and move on.
"After all, Friendly Fins would bother you too if you were at home peacefully and a giant approached your window blowing thousands of bubbles!"