Mystique of the Octopi Trivia Quiz

Answer: Blue-ringed octopus

All octopi secrete a toxin which they inject into their prey via their beaks. The blue-ringed octopus, native to the Indo-Pacific, is special because their venom is powerful enough to kill as many as 26 men. The golf ball-sized cephalopod carries tetrodotoxin, the same venom used by pufferfish, stonefish, and poison dart frogs. Without immediate treatment, death is most probable.

There are four species of this octopus.

Answer: as small as its beak

The octopus can fit through these seemingly impossible-to-traverse gaps due to lacking bones, making them very flexible and malleable. Thus, they can squeeze their bodies into ridiculously tight spaces, almost as if they are liquid! However, they can not fit through any space which is smaller than the entirety of their hard, parrot-esque beak.

Answer: dogfish

Mimic octopi, native to the Indo-Pacific, are unique in which they can alter their bodies to copy the looks and movements of other sea creatures. They are believed to be able to imitate fifteen different organisms, the majority of which are venomous. They can do this by manipulating the placement of their head and tentacles to match the looks of the animal they are trying to resemble. For example, they imitate lionfish by putting their tentacles where the "spines" would be.

Shape-shifting into a dog fish would not be useful because dogfish are not venomous and are preyed upon by several creatures, such as other sharks, orcas, seals, and other fish.

Answer: blue

The octopus has blue blood because it contains hemocyanin, a copper-based protein, rather than hemoglobin (the iron-based chemical in human blood which makes it turn red when exposed to oxygen). The hemocyanin is thought to be the result of the octopus often occupying frigid temperatures within the vast ocean.

Answer: False

Octopi are semelparous, meaning they can only mate once in their lifetimes. The male dies within a few weeks/months of mating due to a slow but damaging process called senescence. Their bodies shut down on them and prohibit them from feeding and healing properly. Meanwhile, females will usually spend the rest of their lives guarding the eggs they've hatched.

They grow weaker and weaker, often dying due to either starvation or a predator. This means the baby octopi are orphans by the time they come into the world.

Answer: three

Octopi have three hearts which all share one chamber. Two of these hearts supply blood to the mollusk's gills, while the third heart (the main systematic heart) pumps blood to the rest of the body. Octopi preferring crawling/walking on the seafloor because swimming causes their main systematic heart to stop beating.

Answer: mantle

An octopus' mantle houses its three hearts, gills, digestive system, etc. It is also crucial for locomotion and respiration. It even houses the ink sac which it uses for self-defense against predators.

Answer: True

Octopus offspring, also called paralarvae, are classified as plankton because of their incredibly small size, transparency, and because they feed on microscopic animals. As they grow larger, they are no longer considered plankton.

An octopus is just one example of meroplankton (a planktonic larvae that grows to be non-planktonic), others include crabs and starfish.

Answer: Giant Pacific octopus

The giant Pacific octopus can grow to 12-16 feet (3.6 to nearly 5 meters), with an arm span nearly as wide. They can also weigh anywhere from 44-110 pounds (20 - 50 kg). This species can change color for camouflage and lives longer than most other species (3-5 years). They can be found in the North Pacific Ocean.

Answer: dumbo

The adorable dumbo octopus is found worldwide, typically residing in depths of 3,000-4,000 meters (3,200 - 4,300 yards), although they have been spotted as deep down as 7,000 meters (7,600 yards). Dumbo octopi lack ink sacs, which is unusual in cephalopods. Instead, they rely on camouflage and their flapping fins to escape predators and find food. They feed on deep-sea crustaceans.