How many years does an octopus live. Who is an Octopus? Octopuses have three hearts

How much do you know about octopuses? Apart from the fact that they have eight legs? For example, do you understand how many hearts an octopus has? Yes, the question is completely correct. After all, the octopus has not one heart, but several! Or what are these creatures capable of?

Let's figure it out. And not only in how many hearts an octopus has, but in general, what kind of animal is it, where you can meet it.

big clam

Octopus (photo below) refers to cephalopods. These creatures live in the sea the globe from the Arctic to the Antarctic. But still octopuses can not stand fresh water, give them a salinity of at least 30 percent.

Their sizes are also very different: from a few cm to 6-7 meters. But anyway " average height"for them - it's 1.5-2 meters. The largest octopuses live off the coast of Colombia: some weigh 15-20 kg, and the length of their tentacles varies from 2 to 2.5 meters, and sometimes more!

Most big octopus was found in Western Canada. This giant octopus weighed 242 kilograms, and the length of its tentacles reached 10 meters! A terrible sight, for sure. Now all the stories of sailors about krakens that can sink ships no longer seem like just stupid parables.

The external structure of the octopus

Octopuses have a soft, rounded body, dressed in a mantle (skin-muscle sac). The mantle is smooth, with pimples or wrinkled (depending on the type of octopus). Inside, under it, there are organs.

The mantle also serves as a reservoir of water. Because the octopus is a sea creature, it cannot exist without water. In order to get out on land, he needs supplies of water. This reserve is enough for four hours. But there have been cases when octopuses remained on land for more than a day.

On the head of the octopus are large eyes, like almost all representatives of deep-sea creatures, with square-shaped pupils.

The mouth of the octopus is small, with a pair of strong jaws. Outside, he somewhat resembles the beak of a parrot. That is why it is called so - "beak". In the mouth there is a tongue outgrowth ("odontophora"). On both sides of the body are gills, which are responsible for extracting oxygen from the water.

tentacle arms

Eight arms-tentacles extend from the head, surrounding the mouth. On inside Each tentacle contains suction cups, with which the octopus is able to detain prey or stick to underwater objects. There can be up to 220 suction cups on one "arm"! A fascinating fact is that there are visual analyzers in the suction cups. So octopuses are truly unique: they are able to create with their limbs!

Octopus tentacles are more often the object of attack by opponents. Therefore, nature endowed octopuses with the ability to reject their limbs in order to escape. The enemy is left with only a trophy. This property in science is called autotomy. The muscles of the tentacle begin to contract so much that it causes a rupture. Almost a day later, the wound begins to heal, and the limb grows back again. You say like a lizard. But no. The lizard is able to throw back its tail only in a certain place, no more, no less. And the octopus can tear off its “arm” wherever it wants.

Internal structure of an octopus

Octopuses have a large brain, which is protected by a cartilaginous capsule (skull). The brain consists of 64 fractions and even has the rudiments of the cortex. Biologists associate the mind of an octopus with the mind of a domestic cat. Octopuses are capable of emotions and are very smart. They have a good memory and are even able to distinguish geometric shapes.

Like other creatures, octopuses have a liver, stomach, glands, and intestines. So, the food tract on the way to the stomach penetrates the liver and brain. The food tract is very narrow, therefore, before swallowing food, a pretty octopus crushes it with its “beak”. Then, already in the stomach, it digests food with the help of digestive juice, which is produced by the liver and pancreas. In the stomach, the octopus has a process - the caecum, which is responsible for the absorption of the necessary substances. The octopus liver is a large, brown, rounded organ. It performs several functions at once: it absorbs amino acids, produces enzymes, and stores nutrients.

In the occipital part of the skull are the organs of balance - statocysts. These are bubbles, inside of which there is liquid and calcareous pebbles (statoliths). When the body of an octopus changes position in space, the pebbles move and come into contact with the walls of bubbles covered with sensitive cells, which is very annoying for the octopus. Specifically, in this way, he can navigate in space even without light.

In a special process of the rectum, the octopus stores a supply of poisonous ink, which serves a good remedy protection. Skin(more precisely, the mantle of an octopus) contain special cells: chromotophores and iridiocysts, which are responsible for the ability to change colors. The 1st contain dark, reddish, brown, yellowish and orange pigments. The second allows the octopuses to be painted in purple, greenish, blue or iron color scheme.

Octopuses have a highly developed circulatory system. The muscles and skin in almost all places have capillaries, which serve to pass the arteries to the veins.

How many hearts does an octopus have

So, we have come to this question of concern to many. It is already clear that these creatures have more than one heart. But then how much? Surely on this moment everyone will be amazed. After all, an octopus has 3 hearts. As many as three! Not one of the representatives of mammals, amphibians or birds has such a paradox. Yes, there are four-chambered hearts, like in mammals, three-chambered, like in amphibians, or generally single-chambered (fish) hearts. But one heart each!

Then why does an octopus have 3 hearts? Recall that the heart is a muscle that, contracting at a certain speed, pumps blood in a living organism. So, cephalopods, which include the octopus, have not very “successful” gills: they make strong blood resistance. Therefore, one heart simply could not cope with it.

How do they work?

So, the octopus has three hearts. One is the main one, which drives blood throughout the body of the octopus. This heart consists of 2 atria and a small ventricle. And one more heart near each gill (there are two of them in an octopus). These hearts are much smaller. They help the main muscle push blood through the gills, from where it, already filled with oxygen, returns to the atrium of a huge heart. That is why they are called "gills".

No matter how many hearts an octopus has, they all beat the same. The frequency of their contractions depends on the temperature of the water in which the creature is located. So than colder water the slower the heart beats. For example, at a temperature of 20-22 degrees, the muscles contract in some places 40-50 times per minute.

Incidentally, the heart of an octopus, more precisely the heart, is far from the only feature of the mollusk. Very peculiar and his blood. She, imagine for yourself, is blue! The thing is that it contains the enzyme hemocyanin, which contains copper oxides.

Systematics
on Wikispecies

Images
at Wikimedia Commons

ITIS
NCBI

Octopuses, or octopus(lat. Octopoda from other Greek. ὀϰτώ "eight" and πούς "leg") - the most famous representatives cephalopods. The typical octopuses described in this article are representatives of the suborder Incirrina, bottom animals. But some representatives of this suborder and all species of the second suborder, Cirrina- pelagic animals living in the water column, and many of them are found only at great depths.

Anatomy and Physiology

The body is short, soft, oval behind. The mouth opening is located at the point where its tentacles converge, and the anal opening opens under the mantle. The mantle resembles a wrinkled leather bag. The mouth of the octopus is equipped with two powerful jaws similar to the beak of a parrot. There is a grater (radula) in the pharynx that grinds food.

The head carries eight long tentacles - "arms". "Hands" are interconnected by a thin membrane and have from one to three rows of suction cups. There are about 2000 of them on all eight tentacles of an adult octopus, each of which has a holding force of about 100 g, and, unlike those created by man, the octopus's suction cups require effort when holding, and not when sucking, that is, they are held only by muscle effort.

Octopuses have an unusual ability - due to the lack of bones, they can change shape. For example, some octopuses during the hunt are flattened on the bottom, disguised as a flounder. They can also freely pass into holes with a diameter of 6 centimeters and stay in a limited space, which is 1/4 of the volume of the body.

Nervous system and sense organs

Weight

Some species reach enormous sizes - total length up to 300 cm and weight up to 50 kg (Nesis, 1982; Filipova et al., 1997). According to other sources, Doflein's octopus reaches a length of 960 cm and a mass of up to 270 kg (High, 1976; Hartwick, 1983).

Lifespan

Many species winter in deeper waters, and migrate to shallow waters in summer.

social structure

Single, territorial. Often nests next to octopuses of the same size

reproduction

The nest is a hole in the ground lined with a shaft of stones and shells. Eggs are spherical, connected in groups of 8-20 pieces. After fertilization, the female arranges a nest in a hole or cave in shallow water, where she lays up to 80 thousand eggs. The female always takes care of the eggs: she constantly ventilates them by passing water through the so-called siphon. Tentacles she removes foreign objects and dirt. During the entire period of egg development, the female remains at the nest without food and often dies after hatching.

Eating

Eating octopuses is common in many cultures. In Japanese cuisine, octopus is a common staple used in dishes such as sushi and takoyaki. They are also eaten alive. Live octopuses are cut into thin pieces and eaten for several minutes while the tentacle muscles continue to convulse. Octopuses are also eaten in the Hawaiian Islands. Octopuses are often used in Mediterranean cuisine. Octopus is a source of vitamins B 3 , B 12 , potassium , phosphorus and selenium . Cook the octopuses carefully to get rid of the slime, odor, and ink residue.

Octopod and other cephalopod ink is sought after by artists for its durability and beautiful brown tone (hence the name sepia tone).

Classification

Class: CEPHALOPODA
- Subclass: Nautiloidea
- Subclass: Coleoidea
  - Superorder: Decapodiformes
  - Superorder: Octopodiformes
    - Order: Vampyromorphida
    - Order: Octopoda
      - Genus: † Keuppia
        View: † Keuppia levante
        
        View: † Keuppia hyperbolaris
        
        Genus: † Palaeoctopus
        
        Genus: † paleocirroteuthis
        
        Genus: † Pohlsepia
        
        Genus: † Proteroctopus
        
        Genus: † Styletoctopus
        View: † Styletoctopus annae
      - Suborder: Cirrina
        Family: Opisthoteuthidae
        
        Family: Cirroteuthidae
        
        Family: Stauroteuthidae
      - Suborder: Incirrina
        Family: Amphitretidae
        
        Family: Bolitaenidae
        
        Family: Octopodidae
        
        Family: Vitreledonellidae
        
        Superfamily: Argonautoida
        Family: Alloposidae
        
        Family: Argonautidae
        
        Family: Ocythoidae
        
        Family: Tremoctopodidae

Bad reputation

Drawing by French naturalist Pierre Denis de Montfort. Early XIX V.

Before the invention of scuba gear, which made it possible to observe life marine life V vivo knowledge about their lifestyle and behavior was rather limited. In that era, octopuses were perceived as ferocious, cunning and extremely dangerous animals. The reason for this was probably their intimidating appearance: snake-like tentacles, gaze big eyes, suckers serving (as it was mistakenly believed) for sucking blood from the victims. Responsibility for the death of people at sea under unclear circumstances was often assigned to octopuses. The human imagination spawned tales of giant octopuses capable of not only killing a person, but also sinking a large sailing ship.
The words "octopus" and "octopus" have become common metaphors for organizations that pose a public danger: mafias, monopolies, secret societies, totalitarian sects, etc. (see, for example, the TV series "Octopus")
The negative attitude towards octopuses is reflected in fiction. Victor Hugo in the novel "Toilers of the Sea" especially vividly describes the octopus as the embodiment of absolute evil.

With many vile mouths this creature clings to you; hydra fuses with man, man merges with hydra. You are one with her. You are a prisoner of this embodied nightmare. A tiger can eat you, an octopus - scary to think! - sucks you out. He pulls you towards him, takes you in, and you, bound, glued together by this living mucus, helpless, feel how you are slowly pouring into a terrible bag, which this monster is.
It is terrible to be eaten alive, but there is something even more indescribable - to be drunk alive.

Octopuses have been somewhat rehabilitated with the spread of scuba gear. Jacques Yves Cousteau, who was one of the first to observe octopuses in their natural environment habitat, in the book "In the world of silence" describes the first attempts to get to know these creatures.

It was this idea of the octopus that dominated us when we first entered undersea world. However, after the first meetings with octopuses, we decided that the words “drunk alive” are applicable rather to the state of the author of the above passage than to a person who actually met an octopus.
Countless times we have put our own personas at risk of being addicted to unusual drinks. At first we felt a natural revulsion at the thought of touching the slimy surface of rocks or marine animals, but we quickly became convinced that our fingers were not so scrupulous in this respect. So, for the first time we decided to touch a live octopus. And there were a lot of them all around, both at the bottom and on the rocky slopes. Once Dumas plucked up courage and took the bull by the horns, that is, he took the octopus off the cliff. He did this not without fear, but he was reassured by the fact that the octopus was small, and Dumas was clearly a mouthful too large for him. But if Didi was a little cowardly, then the octopus himself was just in a panic. He desperately writhed, trying to escape from the four-armed monster, and finally escaped. The octopus fled in leaps, pumping water through itself and throwing out trickles of its famous inky liquid.
Soon we were boldly approaching cephalopods of all sizes.

There is no reliable evidence of an attack by octopuses on humans, however, certain species pose a serious danger due to venomous bites, to which a person can provoke them, persistently trying to get in touch with them.

Octopus Volcano (video)

Features of the cardiac system

One of the 3 hearts of the octopus is the main one - it drives blood throughout the body. It is larger in size than the others and consists of two atria and a small ventricle. This heart bears the main burden of ensuring the vital activity of the body.

The other two cardiac organs can be called complementary - they are smaller in size, are located near two gills and are muscular expansions of blood vessels. They help the main organ move blood around the body. Because of the peculiarity of their work, they are also called "gill". They distill venous blood, which is enriched with oxygen in the gills and then enters the atria of the main organ.

Thus, it is possible to distinguish varieties of cardiac organs in octopuses:

The main thing;
auxiliary.

However, different work does not affect the frequency of their beating - the octopus has three hearts that beat in the same rhythm. This cannot but cause admiration - 3 hearts of a huge clam, beating in one step. The frequency of the beat depends on the temperature of the water: the colder the water, the slower the heart works. On average, the frequency is reduced to 40 times per minute.

The octopus also has only its own blood, which has an amazing blue color, as well as high intelligence, proven by many studies. So 3 hearts distill not just blood, but a blue liquid.

Octopuses are the most famous representatives cephalopods having eight long tentacles - "arms" (sometimes they are called legs). "Hands" are interconnected by a thin membrane and have from one to three rows of suction cups.

There are about 2000 suckers on all eight tentacles of an adult octopus, each of which has a holding force of about 100 g, and, unlike those created by man, the octopus suckers require effort when holding, and not when sucking, that is, they are held only by muscle effort.

More than 300 species of octopuses live in all tropical and subtropical seas and oceans, from shallow water to depths of 100-150m.

Octopuses have three hearts: one (main) drives blood throughout the body, and the other two - gills - push blood through the gills.

Did you know that octopuses have blue blood?

The heart stops beating when the octopus starts to swim. That is why octopuses most often move as if crawling, and do not swim quickly.

Thanks to their soft and elastic body, octopuses can penetrate holes and crevices that are much smaller than their usual body sizes, which allows them to hide in all sorts of shelters intricately.

Many zoopsychologists consider octopuses to be the smartest among all invertebrates in many respects: they can be trained, trained, have a good memory, and distinguish geometric shapes.

The common octopus has the ability to change color, adapting to environment. If the octopus is scared, it turns white, if angry, it turns red.

When the octopus is frightened, it releases trickles of ink - a dark liquid produced by special glands. This liquid hangs in the water in the form of shapeless translucent spots. There are speculations that these spots are meant to distract an attacker and buy the octopus time to escape.

Octopuses have a protective device - autotomy: a tentacle grabbed by an enemy can come off due to strong muscle contraction, and later this tentacle will grow back.

Some species of octopus are poisonous. For example, blue-ringed octopuses that live off the western coast Pacific Ocean are among the most poisonous animals in the world.

The female can lay up to 400 thousand eggs. She takes care of them herself, ventilates them, passing water through the so-called siphon. Tentacles she removes foreign objects and dirt. During the entire period of egg development, the female remains at the nest without food and often dies after the appearance of offspring.

The brain of an octopus is donut-shaped and is located around the esophagus.

Octopuses are able to perceive sound, including infrasound. On each "hand" there are up to ten thousand taste buds that determine the edibility or inedibility of an object.

The sizes of octopuses range from 1 centimeter (males Argonauto argo) up to 4 meters (Haliphron atlanticus).

Before the invention of scuba gear, which made it possible to observe the life of marine life in natural conditions, knowledge about their lifestyle and behavior was rather limited. In that era, octopuses were perceived as ferocious, cunning and extremely dangerous animals. The reason for this was probably their appearance: snake-like tentacles, the gaze of large eyes, suction cups that serve (as it was mistakenly believed) to suck blood from victims.

And this blue-ringed octopus(Blue ringed octopus - Hapalochlaena lunulata) - looks very small (3-5 cm), but according to scientists, it is one of the five most poisonous sea creatures. Its poison is deadly to humans, not to mention the small crabs and shrimp on which it hunts. Such virtues of the octopus were popularized for the public, being beaten by directors in spy films, for example about James Bond. He bit someone on the nose.

Responsibility for the death of people at sea under unclear circumstances was often assigned to octopuses. The human imagination gave rise to stories about giant octopuses (octopuses), capable of not only killing a person, but also sinking a large sailing ship.

The dream of all photographers is the Octopus imitator (Mimic Octopus or Thaumoctopus mimicus), it was first scientifically described and isolated in separate view in the late nineties, just off the coast of Sulawesi. Unlike other octopuses, which increasingly imitate something stationary, this species imitates the behavior of other animals. First of all, adjusting to the shape and manner of movement, he can imitate a stingray, flounder fish, sea snake and even jellyfish. He actively uses his skills in hunting and defense. Its dimensions are small - 30-50 cm.

The word "octopus" has become a metaphor for criminal organizations with extensive networks, often integrated into state bodies.

Another funny species of octopus is the short-eared or coconut octopus (Coconut Octopus or Amphioctopus marginatus), being small in size (8-10 cm), he found for himself perfect home in the form of one or two halves of a coconut (sometimes it uses paired shells for the same purpose). It can be found sitting at the bottom and covering itself with half a coconut, or it will sit in one half and close the other half like a lid. This behavior is typical primarily for Indonesia, when there are no coconuts at the bottom, then it can burrow into the sand or hide in a mink.

A huge contribution to the "rehabilitation" of octopuses was made by Jacques Yves Cousteau.