Page 202 - Atlas Of The World's Strangest Animals

202 ATLAS OF THE WORLD’S STRANGEST ANIMALS

Common Octopus

With eight arms, no skeleton, a beaklike mouth, blue blood and three hearts,

common octopi are truly alien animals. If their appearance isn’t strange enough,
though, these clever cephalopods have also developed a cunning range of
techniques to confound predators and prey alike.

Key Facts ORDER Octopoda / FAMILY Octopodidae /
GENUS & SPECIES Octopus vulgaris

Weight Up to 25kg (55.1Ib)
Diameter of bell Up to 25cm (9.8in)
Length of arms Up to 1.3m (4.3ft)
Sexual maturity Approximately 1 year

Spawning season Feb–Oct, but varies with location
Number of eggs 100,000–500,000
Body
Breeding interval Octopus die after eggs hatch Octopi have soft bodies with no internal skeleton or protective,
external shell.They are named after their eight ‘arms’.
Typical diet Crustaceans and carrion
Lifespan 12–18 months in the wild

(c) 2011 Marshall Cavendish. All Rights Reserved.