Octopuses for Kids | Learn all about these eight-armed brainiacs!

Did you know that octopuses have the largest brains of all the known invertebrates in the world? Octopuses for Kids lays out quite a few quirky facts, like the fact that they have brains in their arms too! Each arm has a bunch of neurons that work together to help an octopus move in a coordinated way. All these brains make octopuses incredibly intelligent.

When octopuses need to protect themselves, they use an incredible strategy called autotomy. If an octopus is in danger, it will purposely "let go" of one of its arms. It can then escape its predators because its detached arm keeps moving as a distraction while the octopus makes a safe getaway. Even more amazing is that octopuses can grow a new arm later.

Here another cool fact. Octopuses have chromatophores in their skin. Chromatophores are specialized cells containing pigments that allow them to change color and create intricate patterns. These cells help them hide by matching the colors and patterns of their surroundings, like rocks or seaweed. That way, if an octopus is near a sandy area, it can turn brown to blend in, and if it's by a coral reef, it can turn the vibrant colors of the corals. Octopuses use this remarkable skill not just for camouflage but also to communicate with other octopuses and express their emotions.

We hope you and your student(s) enjoyed learning about these intelligent invertebrates! If you want to learn even more, head over to our website and download one of our many lesson plans about animals, full of activities, worksheets, and more!

https://learnbright.org/lessons/science/octopuses/

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What you will learn in Octopuses for Kids:
0:00 Introduction
0:21 What is an octopus?
1:57 What do octopuses eat?
3:32 Other interesting facts
4:48 The strategy of autotomy
5:14 Why are they important to the environment?
6:06 Review of the facts

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