An Octopus Is Amazing

An Octopus Is Amazing

An octopus is an animal that fives in the sea. It has a soft, bag-shaped body and eight rubbery arms.

The common octopus lives in a den near shore. It may make its den in a cave or a wrecked ship, in a shell or a tin can, under a rock or in a crack in a rock. Every octopus lives alone. Its den is small, just big enough to hold the octopus. An octopus can squeeze into a small space because it has no backbone. In fact, it has no bones at all.

An octopus can change color in a flash. Usually the octopus matches its surroundings and is hard to see. If it climbs into an empty shell, it turns pink and gray. If it crawls among rocks and seaweeds, it may turn brown and gray and green. An octopus can have colored spots or stripes. It can be half one color and half another.

Color changes help an octopus to hide or to escape from enemies. They may also show how an octopus is feeling. Scientists say an angry octopus turns dark red. A frightened one turns pale. An octopus that is enjoying a meal shows pleasure by changing color.

An octopus has a big appetite. Crabs are its favorite food, but it also likes lobsters, clams, and other shellfish. Sometimes an octopus waits in its den until a meal passes by. Then it reaches out an arm and grabs.