Difference between revisions of "Octopus"

Revision as of 05:52, May 17, 2013

{{Taxonomy|kingdom = Animalia|phylum = Mollusca|class = Cephalopoda|subclass = Coleoidea|superorder = Octopodiformes|order = Octopoda|)}} An '''octopus''' is a [[cephalopod]] [[mollusc]] in the order Octopoda in its broadest sense, but also will refer more narrowly to groups of [[organism]]s within the family Octopodidae, or even more specifically the genus ''Octopus''.<ref name="brusca">Brusca, RC & Brusca GJ (2002). '''Invertebrates, 2 ed'''. Sinauer Associates Incorporated, Sunderland, MA.</ref> ==Description== Generally less actively swimming than fellow cephalopods [[squid]] and [[cuttlefish]], an octopus has eight flexible suckered [[arm]]s, used for grasping [[rock]]s and prey as well as propelling the octopus. These are often inaccurately referred to as "tentacles", but in fact that term refers specifically to two longer extremities which cuttlefish and squid have at the front of their bodies but octopuses do not. To move, it may pull itself over the [[sea]] bed with its arms, but when in a hurry, it shoots a [[jet]] of water out of its body, thrusting it through the water. Octopuses use [[chromatophore]]s to perfectly camouflage themselves against their background. When threatened, they can eject a cloud of ink to mask their escape. They can compress their bodies to fit through minute apertures. ==Diet== Octopuses, after engulfing prey in their arms, inject it with [[venom]]. Some, such as the blue-ringed octopus of [[Australia]], are highly venomous and are capable of [[kill]]ing a man with their bite. ==Octopuses as food== Octopus is a popular seafood, especially in [[Mediterranean]] and [[Oriental]] cuisines, though it must be cooked carefully to avoid the flesh becoming rubbery. ==Octopuses in popular culture== ''The Octopus'' is also the name of novel by [[Frank Norris]]. ==Plural== While "octopi" is the popularly used plural form of "octopus" and is sometimes listed as such in [[Dictionary|dictionaries]] <ref name="m-w">http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/octopus</ref>, it is incorrect <ref> *Fowler, HW (1997) '''A Dictionary of Modern English Usage''' Wordsworth Editions. ISBN 1853263184 *http://www.colby.edu/biology/BI237/Lab/Tipstowritingscience.doc</ref> because the word does not derive from [[Latin]]; the strictly accepted plurals are "octopuses" and "octopodes". Scholars working with cephalopods have settled on the usage of "octopuses" as plural for "octopus" in the narrow sense referring to species within the family Octopodidae<ref> *Mather, JA & Anderson, RC (1993) Personalities of octopuses (''Octopus rubescens''). ''Journal of Comparative Psychology'' '''107''':336-340 *Villanueva, R; Nozias, C & Boletzky, SV (1995) The planktonic life of octopuses. ''Nature'' '''377''':107 *Sumbre, G; Fiorito, G; Flash, T & Hochner,B (2006) Octopuses use a human-like strategy to control precise point-to-point arm movements. ''Current Biology'' '''16''':767-772</ref> and "octopods" the plural to refer more broadly to all species within the order Octopoda<ref> *Voight, JR (1997) Cladistic analysis of the octopods based on anatomical characteristics. ''Journal of Molluscan Studies'' '''63''':311-325 *Lewy, Z (1996) Octopods; nude ammonoids that survived the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundry mass extinction. ''Geology'' '''24''':627-630 *Kubodera, T & Okutani, T (2004) Eledonine octopods from the Southern Ocean: systematics and distribution. ''Antarctic Science'' '''6''':205-214</ref>. ==References== {{reflist}} [[Category:Molluscs]] [[Category:Seafood]]