Intelligent Creature With Three Hearts

The above image that you are looking at is a beautiful Blue-ringed Octopus in the sea. These guys are master in camouflage; they can change color as well as skin texture. This color-changing ability is used for protection against predators and also to communicate with or warn other octopuses. In several species, they are capable of taking on the prickly appearance of seaweed or even the uneven texture of a rock, amongst other disguises. On the other hand, other species are limited to relatively pattern less shades of one color, and limited skin texture.

Octopuses move around by crawling or swimming. Some have even been observed walking on two arms, while at the same time resembling plant matter. When they are hungry or in some sort of danger, they flee quickly by swimming headfirst with their eight arms trailing behind and if we are lucky we may get to see what´s called jet propulsion which is the only time you´ll see an octopus go real fast. Most octopuses do not have internal or external skeleton, this enables them to squeeze through very tight places. Another interesting thing about octopuses is that they have three hearts. Two of them pump blood through each of the two gills, and at the same time the third heart pumps blood through the body.

I wouldn’t recommend having these guys as pets because they often escape even from supposedly secure tanks, due to their problem solving skills, mobility and lack of rigid structure. They are capable of breaking out from their aquariums and sometimes into others looking for food. Octopuses have been observed playing in their aquariums by repeatedly releasing bottles or toys into a circular current and then catching them. They are highly intelligent creatures, possibly the most intelligent of all invertebrates.