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Concept
Common octopus
Summary
The common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) is a mollusc belonging to the class Cephalopoda. Octopus vulgaris is one of the most studied of all octopus species, and also one of the most intelligent. It ranges from the eastern Atlantic, extends from the Mediterranean Sea and the southern coast of England, to the southern coast of South Africa. It also occurs off the Azores, Canary Islands, and Cape Verde Islands. The species is also common in the Western Atlantic.
Octopus vulgaris grows to in mantle length with arms up to long. It lives for 1–2 years and may weigh up to . Mating may become cannibalistic. O. vulgaris is caught by bottom trawls on a huge scale off the northwestern coast of Africa. More than are harvested annually.
The common octopus hunts at dusk. Crabs, crayfish, and bivalve molluscs (such as cockles) are preferred, although the octopus eats almost anything it can catch. It is able to change colour to blend in with its surroundings, and is able to jump upon any unwary prey that strays across its path. Using its beak, it is able to break into the shells of shelled molluscs. It also possesses venom to subdue its prey.
They have evolved to have large nervous systems and brains. An individual has about 500 million neurons in its body, almost comparable to dogs. They are intelligent enough to distinguish brightness, navigate mazes, recognize individual people, learn how to unscrew a jar or raid lobster traps. They have also been observed keeping "gardens", in which they collect various marine plant life and algae, alongside collections of shells and rocks; this behavior may have inspired the 1969 Beatles title, "Octopus' Garden". O. vulgaris was the first invertebrate animal protected by the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 in the UK. Training experiments have shown the common octopus can distinguish the brightness, size, shape, and horizontal or vertical orientation of objects.
The common octopus has world wide distribution in tropical, subtropical and temperate waters throughout the world.
Official source
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