But how much do you know about the octopus?In addition, they have eight legs?For example, do you know how many hearts of the octopus?Yes, the question is asked is absolutely true.After all, the octopus is not one heart but a few!Or what these creatures?
Let's face it.And not just in how many hearts of the octopus, and in general, what kind of animal is, where it can be found.
huge clam
Octopus (photo below) refers to cephalopods.These creatures live in the sea space of the globe, starting with the ending of the Arctic and Antarctic.Still octopus can not tolerate fresh water, salinity Give them at least 30 percent.
Their sizes are also very different from a few centimeters to 7.6 meters.But all the same "average growth" for them - a 1.5-2 meter.The largest octopus live off the coast of Colombia, some weighing 15-20 kg, and the length of their tentacles varies from 2 to 2.5 meters, and sometimes even more!
most enormous octopus was found in Western Canada.This giant octopus weighed 242 kilograms, and the length of its tentacles reached 10 meters!Terrible probably show.Now, all the stories about the kraken sailors capable of flooding the ship, do not seem simply silly fairy tales.
external structure of octopus
Octopuses soft oval body, dressed in robes (skin-muscular sac).The mantle is smooth, with pimples or wrinkled (depending on the type of octopus).Inside, under it are organs.
Mantle also serves as a repository of water.Since an octopus - a sea creature, without water, he can not exist.In order to get out on the land, and it required liquid reserves.This reserve is enough for four hours.However, documented cases of octopus remained on the ground more than a day.
At the head of the octopus's eyes are large, like the majority of the representatives of deep-sea creatures, from the square-shaped pupils.
octopus's mouth is small, with a pair of strong jaws.Outwardly, it is a bit like a parrot's beak.Therefore, it is called - "beak".In the mouth is outgrowth of language ("odontofora").On both sides of the body are the gills, which are responsible for the production of oxygen from water.
Hands-
tentacles from the head depart eight arms-tentacles surrounding the mouth.On the inner side of each sucker tentacles are, by means of which the octopus is able to hold prey or attach themselves to underwater objects.On one "arm" of suckers can be up to 220!An interesting fact is that there are suckers in the visual analyzer.So the octopus is truly unique: able to see his limbs!
octopus most often the target of enemy attack.Therefore, nature gave octopuses ability to reject his limbs to escape.The enemy will only have the trophy.This property is in science called autotomy.Muscles tentacles begin to shrink so much that it leads to a break.Literally the next day the wound begins to heal, and of course re-grows.You say, like a lizard.But no.The lizard is able to discard the tail only in a certain place, no more, no less.But the octopus can tear your "hand" wherever he wants.
internal structure
octopus octopuses have a huge brain, which protects the cartilage capsule (the skull).The brain consists of 64 shares and even the beginnings of a bark.Biologists compare the intelligence of the octopus with the mind of a domestic cat.Octopus are capable of emotions and very smart.They have a good memory, and even able to distinguish geometric shapes.
Like other creatures, from octopuses have liver, stomach, prostate and intestinal tract.Thus, the esophagus towards the stomach pierces the liver and brain.The esophagus is very thin, so before you swallow food, octopus pretty crushes its "beak".Then, in the stomach digests food using digestive juices that produce liver and pancreas.In the stomach, the octopus has a process - tsekum, which is responsible for the absorption of nutrients.The liver is an octopus - a big brown body oval.It performs several functions: absorbs the amino acids, enzymes, produces and stores nutrients.
in the back of the skull are organs of equilibrium - statocysts.It bubbles inside of which is a liquid and calcareous stones (statoliths).When the body of the octopus changes position in space, moving stones and touch the walls of the bubbles covered sensitive cells that irritates octopus.In this way he can navigate in space, even without light.
In particular appendage rectum octopus poisonous ink supply stores, which serve as an excellent means of protection.The skin is (or rather, the mantle octopus) contain specific cells: hromotoforam iridiotsistam and who are responsible for the ability to change color.The former contain black, red, brown, yellow and orange pigments.The second allows octopus painted in purple, green, blue or metallic shade.
octopuses have highly developed circulatory system.Muscle and skin in many places are the capillaries that serve as arteries to go into the veins.
How many hearts have octopus
So we approached this issue of concern to many.It is already clear that these beings are not one heart.But then what?Maybe now everyone will be surprised.After the octopus 3 hearts.As many as three!None of the representatives of mammals, amphibians, or birds such phenomenon is not.Yes, there are, four hearts, as in mammals, three-compartment, like amphibians, or even single-chamber (fish) of the heart.But one by one every heart!
Then why the octopus 3 hearts?Recall that the heart - a muscle that by cutting at a certain rate, pumping blood in a living organism.So, cephalopods, which include octopus, are not too "successful" gills: they create a strong resistance levels.Therefore, one heart, just do not have coped with it.
How do they work?
So the octopus three hearts.One - the main thing that drives blood around the body of an octopus.This heart consists of two atrial and ventricular small.And another one near the heart of every gills (they have two octopus).These smaller heart.They help the main muscle to push the blood through the gills, where it is already filled with oxygen, it returns to the big atrium of the heart.That is why they are called "gill".
matter how many hearts of the octopus, they all fight the same way.The frequency of these reductions depends on the temperature of water in which the creature.Thus, the colder the water, the slower the beat of the heart.For example, at a temperature of 20-22 degrees muscles contract somewhere 40-50 times per minute.
Incidentally, the heart of the octopus, or rather the heart, is not the only feature of the mollusk.A very original and his blood.She imagine blue!The fact is that it is present an enzyme keyhole, which contains copper oxides.
