Octopus

Octopus (Latin OctĂŠ•Ë‡?poda from others-Greek. "Eight", etc., Greek. "Foot") - the most famous representatives of cephalopods.

The body of an octopus is short, soft, oval rear. Mouth is located in a place where converge its tentacles, and anal - opens under a cloak. Mantle resembles a wrinkled leather bag. Octopus's mouth is equipped with two powerful jaws, like a parrot's beak. In the pharynx there is grater (Radul), which is ground meat.

The head bears eight long tentacles - "hands". "Hands" are connected by a thin membrane and have from one to three rows of suckers. On all eight tentacles adult octopus about 2000, each of which has holding power of about 100 g.

Octopus breathes by gills, but no injury could be a short time out of water.

Do octopus three hearts: one (main) driving a blue blood throughout the body, while two others - gill - push blood through the gills.

Some species are poisonous octopus. Sinekolchatye octopus (several species of the genus Hapalochlaena; Eng. Blueringed octopus), inhabiting the western shores of the Pacific, are among the most poisonous animal in the world.

Color
Common octopus has the ability to change color, adjusting to the environment. This is explained by the presence in its skin cells with different pigments capable under the influence of impulses from the central nervous system stretch or shrink depending on the perception of the senses. Plain color - brown. If the octopus is scared - it is white, if angry, then red.

Some species reach a huge size - the total length of 300 cm and weight 50 kg (Nesis, 1982; Fillipova et al, 1997). According to other sources octopus Dofleyna reaches a length of 960 cm and weight up to 270 kg (High, 1976; Hartwick, 1983).

Dwells in all tropical, subtropical seas and oceans, from shallow waters to depths of 100-150 m. It prefers rocky coastal areas, looking for caves habitat and crevices in the rocks. In 2007, scientists discovered "the Antarctic octopus.

Octopus Ring - the most dangerous to humans

The real danger is the poison of octopus. Octopus's mouth is equipped with two powerful jaws of chitin, reminiscent of a parrot's beak. Of cephalopods bites its victim, holding her suckers. In this case, the poison glands of the throat and mouth gets into the wound. The bite of the beak leaves little damage, but because the saliva prevents clotting, bleeding, sometimes quite long.

The severity of damage depends on the type of octopus and, apparently, of its size. The first signs of poisoning: stabbing pain and burning sensation at the site of the bite. Later these feelings extend to the entire limb. Tissue around the wound become swollen. By sucking the poison in the blood of breathing becomes difficult, weakened voice, increased body temperature. Usually recover within 3-4 weeks. However, known cases of deaths by poisoning poison octopus.