Giant Pacific Octopus

A Giant Pacific Octopus produced by Safari. Safari is a company that is well known in the world of figures related to the natural sciences. They do a stellar job with accuracy and detail. Very cool and great for imaginative play, display, and educational uses.

Outrageous Octopus Facts!

1. Octopus arms have a mind of their own.

About two-thirds of an octopus’s neurons are actually located in its arms. This means the arms can taste, touch, and even act on their own accord, without input from the brain.

2. They have (literally) a lot of heart.

Octopuses have not one, not two, but three hearts. Two of them pump blood to its gills, and a third heart keeps circulation flowing to the organs. This third heart stops every time the octopus is swimming, which may explain why they prefer to crawl (you’d get tired too, if one of your hearts stopped!)

3. They’re masters of camouflage.

Blending in means a better chance of survival.

4. They’re smart enough to use tools.

It used to be thought that only vertebrates were smart enough to use objects as tools. Not so: some octopuses have been observed hoarding two halves of a coconut shell, which they carry around like a mobile home and assemble together when needed. Aquarium staff probably aren’t so surprised. Octopuses in captivity regularly solve puzzles, open jars, navigate obstacle courses, and even find cheeky ways to escape their tanks.

5. They sometimes build underwater cities.

It was populated by a species called the gloomy octopus which was previously thought to be solitary. The scientists witnesses complex social behaviors occurring in the population of 15 octopuses, who were living together, communicating, and even evicting each other from dens. It was the second such city found in the area after a first — “Octopolis” — was discovered in 2009.