21st century skills library 4 The Amazing Octopus chapter 1 Swimming in the ocean the hungry sperm whale hunts for food The octopus senses the predator overhead and hides itself The whale continues swimming in search of food When a second sperm whale notices the octopus the eight-armed creature releases its black ink blocking the whale’s vision There are more than 200 species of octopuses They come in many different sizes The smallest octopus lives in the Indian Ocean It measures only about 1 inch 2 54 cm across The giant Pacific octopus can weigh as much as
exploring our oceans 5 The giant octopus has been trained to open jars and solve mazes while being studied in labs 110 pounds 50 kg and can measure more than 20 feet 6 m across Octopuses can be found along the coastlines and on the floors of tropical and semitropical oceans around the world
21st century skills library 6 Do you think this octopus will be able to fit inside this jar Octopuses don’t have a hard outer shell to protect them Many of them create homes in an opening in a rock or in a section of a coral reef Even the largest octopuses can squeeze their bodies into an opening the size of an orange They might dig themselves a hole in the sand for protection Octopuses have even built homes out of empty coconut shells They also make their home in empty bottles and cans Octopuses will often collect shells or rocks and put them outside the opening of their home These help to hide their den from predators and add more protection
exploring our oceans 7 look again Look closely at this photograph Does this octopus remind you of another animal Where have you seen an octopus This octopus floats near the surface in tropical or temperate waters
