16/05/2026
🐠SEA CRITTER OF THE DAY🪸
Mesmerizing, intelligent, the closest thing to aliens we've found on earth...today's sea critter is the octopus.
Octopus get their name from the ancient Greek 'okto' meaning eight and 'pous' meaning foot. An octopus has 3 hearts - two branchial hearts that pump oxygenated blood from the gills and a central heart that supplies the rest of the body. They also have a central doughnut shaped brain and 8 'mini brains', one in each arm which enables them to move independently of each other! With the largest brain to body ratio in any invertebrate, octopus are incredibly intelligent creatures, known to solve complex puzzles, showcase memory skills and even exhibit playful behaviour such as one octopus that would spray its least favorite aquarium employee whenever they walked past their tank!
Octopus feed on a variety of crustaceans, bivalves and gastropods using an arsenal of different hunting strategies and tricks, with recent research proving octopus collaborate with fish to hunt more effectively - even using it's te****le to 'punch' the fish if the hunt is going too slowly!
We could go on and on about these amazing creatures, but the best thing to do is see them in the wild yourself. Next time you're snorkeling look for an area with discarded shells, almost like someone placed them there - high chance it's an octopus midden and with any luck you'll find an octopus gazing up at you from a crack or crevice nearby! Swipe to the last photo for an example ➡️
Can't get enough? Our favourite octopus reads and shows
📖 Other Minds by Peter Godfrey-smith
📖 Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby van Pelt
📺 My Octopus Teacher
📺 Secrets of the Octopus
