Although an octopus has eight arms, or tentacles, it does not use them for swimming. These tentacles are only for crawling along the ocean floor and for catching food.
In order to move through the water, the octopus draws water into a cavity in its body, then squirts it out in jets through a tube, or siphon, just under its head. The force of this squirting is so powerful that it moves the octopus swiftly backwards through the water, in an action similar to jet propulsion.
If one of an octopus’ tentacles is cut off, a new one grows in its place!
Related Posts
-
Can Sheep Swim, How Do They Learn How To Swim, and Which Other Mammals Can Swim?
Sheep can swim, but only in dire circumstances. The ability is basically instinctive, and a life-saving device. They don't go swimming every day, but in case of flooding, or falling into a river,…
-
Which cephalopod can swim faster a squid or an octopus?
A Squid can swim faster than an octopus. Octopi are smooth, gliding along on their tentacles like an eight-legged Fred Astaire, but they're no match in speed for a squid. Squids can shoot…
-
Which Cephalopod can Swim Faster, a Squid or an Octopus, and How Fast?
The Squid is a much faster swimmer than an Octopus. Octopi are smooth swimmers, gliding along on their tentacles like an eight-legged Fred Astaire, but they're no match for the squid. Squid shoot…
-
Can rattlesnakes swim and can snakes swim underwater?
Rattlesnakes are good swimmers, though they are not in a class with species that spend all or most of their lives in water or even with the familiar garter snake. From anecdotal accounts,…
-
How does an Octopus Use Ink to Defend Itself Against Predators when Threatened and is it Poisonous?
When an Octopus is threatened by a predator it will squirt ink, change skin color as camouflage, and jet away. As good a job as the ink does of hiding something as hard…
-
How Else Does an Octopus Defend Itself From Other Animals Besides Shooting Ink at Predators?
If shooting ink isn't enough defense to scare off a predator, an octopus can go on the offensive with its tentacles and a beak-like mouth. An octopus's main defense is to hide by…
