5. Water Rockets
The torpedo-like bodies of squid are built more for speed than the baggy, gelatinous form of an octopus,
but you can only move so fast through fluid. When squid near the
surface need to make a quick getaway, they can propel themselves clear
out of the water and soar through the air for several yards, flattening
their tentacles into a set of gliding fins and even squirting water to
keep themselves airborne.
4. Venomous Beaks
The tiny blue ringed octopus
is as adept at camouflage as any other octopod, but when that doesn’t
work, it reverts to the special pattern it was named for, a last-ditch
warning sign to back off. One bite from this little critter’s beak packs
enough tetrodotoxin to paralyze or kill a full grown human. Not that
you need much, since tetrodotoxin, believed to be a by-product of
symbiotic bacteria, is 10,000 times more toxic than an equivalent amount
of cyanide. Scientists now believe that most, if not all octopuses,
have a venomous bite- but few concentrate anywhere near as much as this
five inch monster.
3. Light Cloak
In the permanent night of the deep sea abyss, one would think that
luminescent animals stand out like a sore thumb, and sometimes they do –
many creatures at these depths emit light
to attract prey, startle predators or communicate to potential mates.
Others, however, especially certain squid, emit light to *hide* in the
darkness. The eyes of many deep sea predators are so sensitive to the
miniscule traces of sunlight from above that solid objects (such as
tasty squid) still appear darker to them than the surrounding water, so
by generating just enough light from its entire surface, a squid can
fool these predators and camouflage itself against the faint, faint
light of a world that, to us, appears pitch black.
2. Borrowed Stingers
Cnidarians such as jellyfish and anemones are well known for their
venomous stings, actually thousands of microscopic venom-filled cells
equipped with their own sensitive “harpoons.” Cephalopods have nothing
like these microscopic weapons, but that doesn’t stop them from using
them. The tremoctopus already mentioned has been known to rip tentacles
off Portuguese Man O’ War, carrying them around as weapons to sting
persistent attackers. Another group of octopuses, the bizarre Argonauta
or “paper nautili,” have sometimes been observed attaching themselves to
the tops of jellyfish, dragging them around for protection and even
chewing through their stomachs so they can still feed.
1. Shape Shifting
The mesmerizing and highly unique “mimic octopus” of Indonesia isn’t
satisfied with blending into corals and seaweed, but uses the natural
flexibility of octopuses to imitate completely different animals, even
jumping between multiple forms in a flash. They may flatten out and swim
like a flounder, stretch two tentacles into the shape of a deadly sea
snake, bunch up into a false starfish and many other sneaky disguises-
all while changing color patterns to match. It typically imitates
venomous or unappetizing animals, but simply changing forms at all can
be enough to confuse an attacker.
Source : http://top5s.net
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