

Short, darting movements and fast escapes are made by jet propulsion as water is inhaled into the mantle cavity (gill chamber) and then forced out through the siphon. Octopuses are highly mobile predators that use their eight arms to crawl swiftly across the bottom.
WHAT DO OCTOPUS EAT SKIN
Other tiny muscles in the skin contract or relax to change the texture of the octopus’ skin surface. In addition to camouflage, the chromatophores can be activated to create patterns used in communication with other octopuses. Millions of pigment cells (chromatophores) in the skin expand or shrink when stimulated by the nervous system, creating color patterns that can be changed instantly. Octopuses escape detection by both prey and predators thanks to their ability to change skin color to match their surroundings. Their highly coordinated arms are also covered with sensory receptors that help them detect crustacean or molluscan prey as they crawl over the reef. Octopuses monitor their environment, detecting prey, potential predators, and other octopuses using large and well-developed eyes that can form accurate images and detect slight movements.


The brain, enclosed in a protective “cranium” of cartilage, interprets sensory input from the eyes and other sense organs, and controls the delicate movements of eight very active arms. The octopus relies on its extraordinary sensory systems, brain, and motor coordination in all aspects of its life. Octopuses are probably the most “intelligent” of invertebrates and have been shown to have the ability to learn from experience. The feature most responsible for the octopus’ success is its well-developed nervous system. But, while the octopus lacks a shell, it is not without defenses and shows many fascinating adaptations for survival. In molluscs that do have shells, it is the mantle tissue that produces this external skeleton. The body mass is covered by a muscular layer of tissue called the mantle. Octopuses completely lack the shell which characterizes more distant mollusc relatives like the snails and bivalves, but they have the same basic body design: a head with eyes muscular foot (modified into eight arms) and a sac-like body mass that encloses the internal organs and gill chamber. The octopus is a cephalopod mollusc, most closely related to squid, cuttlefish, and the chambered nautilus.
