The Octopus

All About An Octopus Octopuses are invertebrates. They are completely boneless. They live in holes or rocks in salty waters and oceans. They are also known as bottom dwellers, meaning they feed and live on the ocean floor. The word octopus refers to its eights arms or tentacles. Each tentacle has 240 suction cups; 1920 in total. They use their head to propel themselves as they swim. Their flexible bodies help them squeeze through small spaces.

An Octopus’s Diet Octopuses hunt at night. They use their arms and suckers to catch and choke their prey. They eat… Crab Crayfish Clams Shelled mollusks Fish Snails Turtles Shrimp Other octopus

Predators An octopus has many predators: Sharks Dolphins Eels Large Fish Birds Whales An octopus protects itself by changing its appearance. They can also shoot ink that makes it hard for their predators to see in the water. Octopuses are also venomous. Their saliva contains the poison.

Let’s Learn About Their Lifecycle

First Stage Egg- Octopus lay their eggs on coral reefs, or a rocky den. They lay 20,000- 100,000 eggs at one time. Eggs will take about 7 months to hatch.

Second Stage Larvae- after they hatch. The Larvae only eat plankton. The Larvae grows fast.

Third Stage Adult Octopus-After a few months the octopus is full grown. It can be as small as 12 inches or as big as 16 feet.

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