The Remarkable Biology of the Octopus Examined

Stephanie Sammann of Real Science takes a deep dive into the remarkable yet alien biology of the amazing octopus. Sammann explores the origins of this eight-limbed cephalopod, how the octopus evolved, their incredible intelligence and the strong defensive mechanism that allows them to hide in plain sight.

A part of a class of animals called cephalopods, they are among the most intelligent and most mobile of all the invertebrates. …They can be massive, or absolutely tiny. Some species are venomous, and some are just downright strange. In any given moment, they can appear spikey, or they can appear smooth. They are so different from us, that most of their 500 million neurons are not in their brain, but in their arms, which can smell and taste, and even think. And so intelligent that their cognitive ability matches that of many large-brained vertebrates.

via Boing Boing