Why octopus blood is blue

How Many Hearts Does an Octopus Have? An octopus is categorized in class Cephalopoda, which means head foot in Greek and order Octopoda. It is a marine mollusk with eight equal size long arms in a ring, surrounding the head. Marine biologists distinguish tentacles from arms based on the position of suckers. If the suckers are present only at the tip of the structure, then it is a tentacle if the suckers are present along the length of the entire structure, then it is an arm. Thus, a cephalopod like an octopus has eight arms but no tentacles while other members of cephalopods such as squid have two tentacles and eight arms. Eight long arms of an octopus An octopus uses its arms to walk on the floor of the sea and suction cups on the underside of the arms help in detecting taste and touch stimuli. It also has a hard beak that is used to pierce through the shells of prey. The body of the octopus is mainly composed of muscles thus it can fit through even small spaces. Some studies show that octopuses are even capable of using some simple tools, learning things, and remembering locations. Generally, octopuses are territorial and solitary and found in coastal marine waters, especially in the openings of coral and rocks. They are prey for sea otters, large fish, sperm whales, moray eels, and many birds. However, they use different ways to avoid predators such as: • Ejecting ink into the water to confuse the predator • Squeezing themselves into small spaces to avoid seeing • Using...

A new study demonstrates that the blue oxygen carrying haemocyanin pigment in the blood of an Antarctic octopus ( Pareledone charcoti) protect the animals from freezing temperatures. In fact, when compared to other octopus species from warmer climates, they have up to 40% more haemocyanin. Dr. Michael Oellermann, lead study author from Alfred-Wegener-Institute, provided the following quote for a press release: "This is the first study providing clear evidence that the octopods’ blue blood pigment, haemocyanin, undergoes functional changes to improve the supply of oxygen to tissue at sub-zero temperatures.” Moreover, unlike other octopus species, the study findings demonstrated better oxygen carrying capacity at higher temperatures, a feature that may help the animals cope with changing climates. Sources: M Oellermann, B Lieb, HO Pörtner, JM Semmens and FC Mark. Blue blood on ice: modulated blood oxygen transport facilitates cold compensation and eurythermy in an Antarctic octopod. Frontiers in Zoology. 12:6, 2015. YouTube (video) The part of this finding that I find the most fascinating is the fact that because of their higher percentage of haemocyanin which equips these octopus with the ability to carry more oxygen even at higher temperatures, they may be better able to survive changing ocean temperatures. This could be an invaluable finding upon which many important studies could be conducted tracking these certain octopus' success throughout varying climate changes due ...

Snails, spiders and octopi have something in common- they all have blue blood! We're not talking in the sense of royalty, these creatures literally have blue blood. So why is their blood blue and ours red? One of the purposes of blood is to carry oxygen around the body. That transport system is actually quite complex, not just a matter of oxygen dissolving in liquid blood. In humans, the oxygen is carried around by a molecule known as hemoglobin which has an iron atom imbedded in its structure. Oxygen binds to this iron atom and is transported to cells where it is released. If there is insufficient iron in the system, a condition known as iron deficiency anemia results, which basically is a form of oxygen starvation. The oxyhemoglobin molecule absorbs all colours of light but reflects red, thereby accounting for the red colour of blood. Unlike mammals, snails, spiders and octopi do not use hemoglobin to transport oxygen but rely on a related compound known as hemocyanin. This molecule, instead of having an atom of iron in its middle, has an atom of copper that binds oxygen. Hemocyanin absorbs all colours except blue which it reflects, making their blood appear blue. So why do human veins appear blue from the outside? Since the white light that comes from the sun or out lightbulbs contains within it all colours of light, some colours penetrate our skin deeper than others. Blue light doesn't penetrate our skin as well as red light, so it bounces back to our eyes and makes ou...

Octopuses are famous for rapidly changing color to blend in with their surroundings. (Image credit: Shutterstock) Octopuses might be nature's ultimate weirdos: They have squishy bodies that can squeeze through tiny cracks; eight sucker-covered arms that can be regrown; three hearts that pump blue blood (rich in copper) through their veins; and massive, donut-shaped brains that give them superior intelligence compared with other invertebrates. But octopuses' most awe-inspiring trait is arguably their ability to rapidly change color and blend into their surroundings, camouflaging themselves at will. Camouflage is an important skill shared by almost all cephalopods— a group of marine invertebrates that also includes squid and cuttlefish — but octopuses have taken it to a whole other level. These animals have the highest resolution patterns of any cephalopod and display some of the quickest color transitions in the entire animal kingdom. (There are around 300 species of octopus in the order Octopoda. In this article, the term 'octopuses' is used to describe general trends throughout the group, but not every species is capable of changing color, and the camouflaging mechanics they use can vary.) Octopuses' mastery of camouflage has mystified researchers since the beginning of science itself. Around 2,400 years ago, Aristotle, the ancient Greek philosopher who is often considered one of the founding fathers of modern science, jotted down detailed observations of octopus camoufla...

Ready to hear some fun facts about octopus? You’re in the right place. Octopuses have long captured the imagination of sea goers, and it’s easy to see why. They have a unique appearance, and project themselves through the water in an alien-like way. Octopus are also known for producing mysterious clouds of ink. What’s more, their anatomy is fascinating. From their limbs to their hearts, nothing about an octopus is quite what it seems. Unsurprisingly, Clearly there’s more to these space-like creatures than meets the eye, so let’s delve a little deeper into some of the most interesting facts about octopuses out there. 1. Some octopus species can walk The word októpus in Greek translates to ‘eight foot’, and it’s long been thought that all octopus limbs perform similar functions. However, research has shown that Often referred to as ‘legs’, these rear limbs allow octopuses to ‘walk’ across the ocean floor in a way that’s similar to how humans walk on land (known as bipedal locomotion). This leaves the remaining limbs free to form a variety of shapes. These shapes can include impersonating floating algae or coconut shells, which may 2. Octopuses are fantastic multi-taskers Have you ever tried rubbing your head and patting your tummy while hopping up and down? If so, you’ll know it takes a lot of brain power to simultaneously perform several actions with multiple limbs. Fortunately, octopuses have a unique nervous system that allows them to perform multiple tasks at once. Aroun...

Octopuses' oddities run deep—right down to their blue-hued blood. And new research shows how genetic alterations in this odd-colored blood have helped the The iron-based protein (hemoglobin) that carries oxygen in the blood for us red-blooded vertebrates becomes ineffective when faced with low-oxygen levels. This is one of the reasons why, for example, we tire more quickly from exercise at high altitudes. To cope with the super-low oxygen levels in the deep ocean, the octopus instead uses a copper-based transporter protein called hemocyanin. This is much more efficient in keeping their bodies properly oxygenated. And the copper in hemocyanin makes their blood run blue. Cephalopods aren't the only animals with hemocyanin. Horseshoe crabs, lobsters and a handful of other invertebrates also make use of this substance instead of hemoglobin. Researchers at the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research in Germany have found that not all blue blood is the same, however—even among octopuses. When they compared the hemocyanin of octopuses that live in -1.9 degree Celsius waters to those that live in seas closer to 30 degrees Celsius, they found some distinct differences. The research was presented earlier this month at As the temperature drops, oxygen is more inclined to stay bonded to the hemocyanin, which makes getting enough oxygen to muscles and other organs difficult. Pareledone charcoti has solved this by actually making its hemocyanin less attractive to oxygen t...

" " The pigment hemocyanin is responsible for octopus blood being blue. DIVEIVANOV/ISTOCK/THINKSTOCK The If you asked Jean Boal, a behavioral researcher at Millersville University about the inner life of octopuses, she might tell you that they are cognitive, communicative creatures. Boal attempted to feed stale So what makes these smart sea creatures so adaptable? The ability is literally in their blood. The same pigment that gives the octopus blood its blue color, hemocyanin, is responsible for keeping the species alive at extreme temperatures. Hemocyanin is a blood-borne protein containing copper atoms that bind to an equal number of oxygen atoms. It's part of the blood plasma in invertebrates. Blue-hued hemocyanin binds to oxygen in the blood and transports it throughout the octopus's body to supply tissues, a critical factor in its survival. Octopuses have three hearts and need more oxygen than most other invertebrates, so the hemocyanin allows octopuses to get a steady oxygen supply, even when it isn't readily available in their environment. It also ensures that they survive in temperatures that would be deadly for many creatures, ranging from temperatures as low as 28 degrees Fahrenheit (negative 1.8 degrees Celsius) to superheated temperatures near the ocean's thermal vents [source: Researchers suspect the "blue blood" adaptation is the result of the octopus's inability to migrate away from challenging environmental conditions. The animals move primarily by crawling...