1 by Jody Woodhouse
Why Octopus? I truly believe octopuses (yes not octopi) are the most amazing creatures on this earth and I hope within this zine to convince and teach you about why these beautiful cetalophods are the coolest animals around. It seems to me that these guys are often underappreciated in todays society and I hope to shine some light on their amazing intelligence and outstanding evolutionary abilities. Including 289 species, the order octopoda have been shown to learn easily and even seen using tools such as using coconut shells to hide from predators. They can solve complex problems for example opening lids and all have varying temperaments with some scientists believeing they have individual personalities. I shall venture into some more amazing facts on the next few pages, so by the end of this zine I hope you too are perplexed by these creatures that have been around for 500 million years
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Not all blood is red like ours; the octopus’s blood is blue. The blue color comes from hemocyanin, the copper-containing protein that binds oxygen in the octopus. Human blood is red because its oxygen-binding protein, hemoglobin, contains iron. In addition to being blue, octopus blood is a poor carrier of oxygen, which helps explain the animal’s sometimes apparent laziness. It seems my blood must be also terrible at carrying oxygen, I guess that could expain why im so lazy? 3 2.
They belong to the phylum mollusca (where you will also find clams, snails and slugs) and have evolved from when they originated more than 500 million years ago. They belong to a group called cetalopod which literally means ‘head footed’ (referring to the way their arms branch directly off their head). They use their arms for basically everything, eating, moving hunting, tasting and mating and I often sit and dream of the convenience of having such a number of limbs- you could get so much more done!
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They usually hang out in warm, tropical waters all around the globe and like their cool cousin the squid, are often lurking in the depths of the sea. It does vary however, as some species are ‘pelagic’ meaning they live near the waters surface while those that wander the depths of the ocean floor crawling while tucking their arms into small openings to search for food. The Dumbo octopus is not only the deepest dwelling octopus in the sea but also one of the oldest living (and one of thr cutest). These guys are particularly odd looking with their fins resembling ‘Dumbo the elephant’s’ ears and there are atleast 15 species of them living in the ocean.
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Their favourite bit of munch is crabs, shrimps and lobsters but will occasionally eat larger prey such as sharks. When hunting, they usually drop down on their prey from above and use those powerful suctions that line their arms to pull their unlucky victim into their mouth. They spend many of their days avoiding the eager mouths of seals, whales and large fish but can defend themselves pretty well when needed, as we shall find out on the next page.
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This technique of squirting ink confuses the aggressor, while their ability to blend into their surroundings through changing colour to grey, brown, pink blue or green enables them to make a quick escape and hide when any predators are lurking. It is also said that this camouflage technique works as a communication tool as biologists from Australia noticed the animals stand taller, adopt a darker hue and spread their arms when being aggressive or intimidating. Such an ability amongst conflict makes me wonder how this would work on humans and if changing colour due to our emotion would be something that would be d etrimental. Blue when sad, red when angry, yellow when.. embarrassed? Personally Im not sure about portraying such transparency but for octopuses who are seen as solitary and antisocial creatures, this notion becomes challenged and reasserts how communication in many species is key and adaptable. All octopuses are thought to have some venom that comes from bacteria living inside the animals. Most don’t have enough poison to harm people. But a bite from a small blue-ringed octopus can paralyze a human adult in minutes.
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As noted before, they are primarily solitary creatues, living alone in dens made from rocks (that’s the dream) but what is truly fascinating is that they build the dens themselves by moving rocks with their arms. Some have even been spotted fashioning a rock ‘door’ that pulls close when the octopus is inside the den.
Yes, like chimpanzees, dolphins and crows, octopuses are among the special set of intelligent animals that have been observed using tools. In 2009, scientists reported they had watched veined octopuses (Amphioctopus marginatus) picking up discarded coconut shells and using them like mobile homes. 10
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-Recently set the record for opening a jar in under a minute flat
-This renound sea monster was the largest described in seafaring lore and literature. At around 14 metres, the tale of Kraken has been told for centuries and haunted sea men around the globe
-Managed to get open a childproof jar in just 55 minutes and after a little practice, could get to her treat in just 5 minutes!
-Most famous for his psychic abilities, this dude correctly predicted the outcome of all of Germanys svene matches in the 2010 11Cup. RIP Paul. Fifa World
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