7 Octopus Fun Facts We Bet You Never Knew

It’s only when you start learning about octopuses, that you realize just how weird, wonderful, and other-worldly they are! Let’s explore some octopus fun facts to learn more about these fascinating creatures.

1. They’ve Been Around for a Very Long Time

Octopuses have been present on this planet for a very long time indeed. The oldest known ancestor of octopuses is currently a fossil found in Montana, believed to be 330 million years old – this suggests that these creatures were around before the dinosaurs.

2. They Have More Than 1 Heart

Another octopus fun fact is that they have not 1, not 2, but 3 hearts! 2 of the hearts pump blood through the gills, with the third working to pump blood through the organs. Another fascinating octopus fun fact when it comes to their heart is that it stops beating when they swim!

3. Their Blood Isn’t Red

Their blood is, in fact, blue due to hemocyanin, a copper-based protein. This helps them to survive in the ocean, but it also makes them very sensitive to acidity changes, which raises questions over how they’ll cope with ocean acidification caused by climate change.

4. They Have No Bones

Having no bones at all means they can squeeze in and out of tight spaces.

5. The Giant Pacific Octopus is Indeed Giant

We can see how the Giant Pacific Octopus earned its name – it really is large! The world’s biggest octopus, this creature measures nearly 5 meters and can weigh up to 50 kilos.

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6. Incredible Predator Deterrence

Octopuses have fascinating ways to deter attackers and make their escape. They squirt ink to temporarily blind any predator, allowing them time to get away. Not only that, but they can also change color to blend in with their surroundings, in an attempt to be undiscovered in the first place: they’re able to turn blue, gray, pink, brown or green. Although they prefer to crawl along the sea floor, octopuses are fast swimmers, which comes to their advantage if they need to make a hasty retreat. They suck water into their bodies, then shoot it out of a tube, called a siphon, which is why they’re able to swim away so quickly.

After all this, what happens if they still manage to get caught by a predator? They can simply lose whichever arm is affected and regrow it! Pretty handy, huh?

7. Doing the Deed Means Death

Our final octopus fact, that unfortunately isn’t fun for the creatures themselves, is that they die after mating. The male wanders off to die, while the female dies after her eggs have hatched.

We hope these 7 octopus fun facts have helped you to learn something new about these fascinating creatures. Shop hand-drawn octopus designs and help to clean the seas at the same time! Browse our Giant Pacific Octopus and Common Octopus collections.