Today is World Octopus Day 🐙🐙🐙🐙🐙🐙🐙🐙 and recently we celebrated Habitat Day (5th October) which is relevant because octopi live in ocean habitats that humans pollute with plastic, oil spills, waste and more. It's easy for people to forget that oceans are habitats for a variety of sea creatures. We all remember fish, dolphins and whales but can forget molluscs such as, octopi who are rather weird looking creatures with eight tentacles (with suckers) which regrow if they lose one, large head and eyes.
I've been reading recent research on the internet about these creatures and discovered some fascinating facts about them I didn't know. For instance, since octopi don't have shells they are an easy target for birds and fellow sea creatures looking for food. To deal with this, octopi have developed ways to protect themselves. The coconut octopus is one example of the way they can do this. This particular octopus carries around two halves of a coconut which has a dual purpose. One: The octopus can hide from prey so it isn't seen. Two: It can be invisible to creatures it preys upon eg crabs so attacking them when they least expect it!
Despite being soft-bodied, octopi have bird-like beaks which they use as a tool to inject poison into shells so forcing them to open exposing the creature inside. They also use their ability to squirt ink (black ink because their blood is copper rich not iron as in humans) on predators to confuse their sight and sense of smell. This enables the octopus to then make off hastily before the predator revives and follows. Not only this but octopi are able to transform themselves through camouflage so that it's hard for a predator to tell the difference between it and, say, coral. And it's not just their colour they can change but also the pattern and texture of their skin. This is remarkable. Imagine if humans could do that! Philosophers would have to rethink their theory of personal identity, especially since, like humans, octopi have amazing memories, can plan what they might do in the future, adapt to their environment and cross-apply what they have learned to a new situation eg they recognise an object on a screen that they have encountered in real life. They are also so strong they can destroy lab equipment and yet can escape through minute holes because they are so soft-bodied and can slide about.
Although it's common now to think of animals such as dogs, cats, horses, farm animals etc as sentient beings, is that the case when we think of molluscs? I think many people might not think so but given the recent research on these creatures, which I have incorporated here, the answer must be a definite - Yes!
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