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Octopus
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API
Temporal range: Early Pennsylvanian – Recent
The common octopus, Octopus vulgaris.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Mollusca
Class:
Cephalopoda
Superorder:
Octopodiformes
Order:
Octopoda
Leach, 1818
Suborders
Cirrina*Incirrina
Synonyms
Octopoida
Leach, 1817
An octopus (/'?kt?p?s/ or /'?kt?p?s/; plural: octopuses, octopi, or octopodes; see below) is a cephalopod mollusc of the order Octopoda. It has two eyes and four pairs of arms and, like other cephalopods, it is bilaterally symmetric. An octopus has a hard beak, with its mouth at the center point of the arms. An octopus has no internal or external skeleton (although some species have a vestigial remnant of a shell inside their mantles), allowing it to squeeze through tight places. Octopuses are among the most intelligent and behaviorally flexible of all invertebrates.Octopuses inhabit many diverse regions of the ocean, including coral reefs, pelagic waters, and the ocean floor. They have numerous strategies for defending themselves against predators, including the expulsion of ink, the use of camouflage and deimatic displays, their ability to jet quickly through the water, and their ability to hide. An octopus trails its eight arms behind it as it swims. All octopuses are venomous, but only one group, the blue-ringed octopus, is known to be deadly to humans.Around 300 species are recognized, which is over one-third of the total number of known cephalopod species. The term 'octopus' may also be used to refer specifically to the genus Octopus.
^ Kluessendorf, J.; Doyle, P. (2000). "Pohlsepia Mazonensis, an Early 'Octopus' from the Carboniferous of Illinois, USA". Palaeontology 43 (5): 919. doi:10.1111/1475-4983.00155. edit
^ "ITIS Report: Octopoda Leach, 1818". Itis.gov. 2013-04-10. Retrieved 2014-02-04.
^ Helsinki.fi, Mikko's Phylogeny Archive: Coleoidea – Recent cephalopods
^ "Facts About Octopuses". Retrieved 22 April 2014.
^ Unimelb.edu.au, Tentacles of venom: new study reveals all octopuses are venomous, University of Melbourne, Media Release, Wednesday 15 April 2009
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