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How many hearts does an octopus have?

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Final answer:

An octopus has three hearts, which facilitate the movement of oxygenated blood throughout its body and contribute to its survival and efficiency as a predator in the ocean.

Step-by-step explanation:

An octopus has three hearts. Two of the hearts are responsible for pumping blood to the octopus's gills, where it picks up oxygen, while the third heart pumps the oxygenated blood around the body. The presence of three hearts in cephalopods, including octopuses and squids, helps these creatures thrive in their underwater environments.

The fact that an octopus can eject ink as a defense mechanism, along with its ability to change color and shape, showcases their complex behavior and adaptability, which may contribute to their efficient predatory skills. Additionally, they possess a muscular mantle that, along with their siphon, enables them to move by jet propulsion.

An octopus (pl.: octopuses or octopodes) is a soft-bodied, eight-limbed mollusc of the order Octopoda (/ɒkˈtɒpədə/, ok-TOP-ə-də). The order consists of some 300 species and is grouped within the class Cephalopoda with squids, cuttlefish, and nautiloids. Like other cephalopods, an octopus is bilaterally symmetric with two eyes and a beaked mouth at the center point of the eight limbs.

The soft body can radically alter its shape, enabling octopuses to squeeze through small gaps. They trail their eight appendages behind them as they swim.

User Fero
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Surprisingly, an octopus has three hearts. Two of the thee are branchial hearts pump blood through each of the two gills, while the third is a systemic heart that pumps blood throughout the body. Pretty cool right?
User Ricab
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