Marine Biology project
Octopus
By Lucas Willenbrock
Octopus
• Octopus’s belong to the class
Cephalopoda which includes squid and
cuttlefish
• It belongs to the order Octopoda
which includes all octopi
• There are about 300 known species of
octopi
Physical Characteristics
• All species of octopus have eight arms
unlike squid and cuttlefish which have ten
• They are invertebrates
• All species have a beak not unlike a
parrots that functions as a mouth
• They come in a variety of sizes and colors
and some have the ability to change color
Habitat
• Octopus’s live on the sea floor
• They range from shallow coastal waters to
the deepest parts of the ocean
Food
• Octopuses eat a wide range of sea
creatures from crabs to clams to many
kinds of fish
• They have few natural predators but are
sometimes eaten by sharks , rays and
moray eels
biology
• Octopuses have a highly developed
nervous system
• They are also regarded as one of the most
intelligent of all sea creatures for their
uncanny problem solving skills
• They have the ability to open jars and can
be trained in similar ways to a dolphin or
dog
Reproduction and life cycle
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Octopuses have a short life span
Generally living from only a year or two
They reproduce sexually
Most octopuses die a few weeks after
mating
• This is due to a gland that secretes a
“death” hormone to ensure a geneticallypreprogrammed death
Facts
• All species have the ability to secret a smelly ink
like fluid that can act as a distraction or defense
mechanism
• Octopuses have been known to hid inside clam
shells for defense
• They have some of the largest eyes of any sea
creature and possess excellent vision
• They are able to propel themselves though the
water by squeezing water out of an opening
called a siphon
• An octopus using
a shell
an octopus
propelling itself
using a water jet
• An octopus fanning itself out in defense