People underestimate the awesomeness of the octopus. Octopuses are magnificent sea creatures living all around the world. Containing over 300 species! The word Octopus is from the Greek language meaning eight-legged. They are boneless creatures, also known as invertebrates. Octopuses are interesting in several ways. For example, the way they lose their shape out of the water. In the water, they are able to disappear, flee, prey on other creatures, and glide across the water! The amount of Octopus species seems infinite. All of which have their own specific features! Being able to tell them apart is difficult; octopuses have similar anatomy and structures. Despite the size differences, they almost all have a total of eight legs with suckers
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These unique creatures actually have camouflage! Only a few animals, called cephalopods, have the abilities to change their color and skin. These remarkable transformations are caused by a bunch of color changing cells called chromatophores. Chromatophores are a bunch of cells below the surface of skin. The cells have a sac controlled by a complex array of nerves and muscles, allowing it to expand or contract. These chromatophores have light-reflecting cells within them, allowing a camouflage effect. Some cephalopods have leucophores and iridophores, these are reflecting plates that allow the animals to use a variety of more colors! Octopuses are able to control their papillae too. This allows them to use their soft bodies in various ways. They can form their body textures to match coral, rocks, and other nearby objects! Octopuses control the size of their papillae, creating small bumps to large spikes, allowing them to be nearly invisible to predators. One of the best camouflage octopuses are the Mimic Octopuses. The Mimic Octopus uses a unique method of mimicking other sea creatures. They do this by moving their arms and changing their skin color in the appropriate way. Such as flounders, eels, sea snakes, and lion fishes. Though octopuses use camouflage for several
These unique creatures actually have camouflage! Only a few animals, called cephalopods, have the abilities to change their color and skin. These remarkable transformations are caused by a bunch of color changing cells called chromatophores. Chromatophores are a bunch of cells below the surface of skin. The cells have a sac controlled by a complex array of nerves and muscles, allowing it to expand or contract. These chromatophores have light-reflecting cells within them, allowing a camouflage effect. Some cephalopods have leucophores and iridophores, these are reflecting plates that allow the animals to use a variety of more colors! Octopuses are able to control their papillae too. This allows them to use their soft bodies in various ways. They can form their body textures to match coral, rocks, and other nearby objects! Octopuses control the size of their papillae, creating small bumps to large spikes, allowing them to be nearly invisible to predators. One of the best camouflage octopuses are the Mimic Octopuses. The Mimic Octopus uses a unique method of mimicking other sea creatures. They do this by moving their arms and changing their skin color in the appropriate way. Such as flounders, eels, sea snakes, and lion fishes. Though octopuses use camouflage for several