HRAP Online Encyclopedia

Octopus and Squid

Octopus and squid are known as being incredibly intelligent and playful animals. Although part of the mollusk phylum, octopus and squid have unique qualities that make them very different from other mollusks. For starters, they have eight or more arms, three hearts, and produce a dark fluid (ink sac) to distract predators. Octopus are talented puzzle solvers and in aquariums they sometimes manage to escape their tanks. Young octopus use the shelter of tide pool rocks to hide from predators, but it is difficult to find them due to their color and texture changing cells making them masters of disguise. Squids stay in deeper water, but their egg sacks will occasionally wash onto the beach. If you look closely you might see baby squid swimming inside!