Eight-armed molluscs, about 300 species, with three hearts and copper-based blood. Over 500 million neurons, about as many as a dog, and two-thirds of them are in the arms.
Quick answers
What is it?Mollusc
Carnivore?Yes
Dangerous?Can be
All octopuses are venomous, but only the blue-ringed octopuses are known to be deadly to people.
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Night
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?Sometimes
Do people eat it?Yes
Eaten and considered a delicacy in many places, especially around the Mediterranean and in Asia.
At a glance
Found inOceans
HabitatOpen ocean, Coast
ColoursRed, Brown, Grey
SizeMedium
Legs8
Covered inSkin
Lives alone
Lives for1–3 years
Can swim
Lays eggs
In the wild
- What it eats
- A predator of crabs and other crustaceans, clams, snails, fish and other cephalopods, taken back to its den to eat.
Did you know
Three hearts, blue blood, and two thirds of its neurons in its arms.
Octopuses live only up to about four years, and some species’ life cycles finish in under a year.
Often confused with
- Squid
A squid has eight arms plus two long tentacles and a small internal “pen” for support. An octopus has eight arms and no tentacles.
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