California two-spot octopus
The octopus is a strange and amazing creature, the most intelligent and agile of all invertebrates. (In May, we posted How Does an Octopus Keep Track of Eight Arms?) Recently, scientists mapped the octopus genetic code and discovered that it is so strange that it could actually be termed “alien”. As reported by the Irish Examiner: “The octopus appears to be utterly different from all other animals, even other molluscs, with its eight prehensile arms, its large brain and its clever problem-solving abilities,” said US researcher Dr Clifton Ragsdale, from the University of Chicago.
“The late British zoologist Martin Wells said the octopus is an alien. In this sense, then, our paper describes the first sequenced genome from an alien.”
The first whole cephalopod genome sequence shows a striking level of complexity with 33,000 protein-coding genes identified – more than in a human. Analysis of 12 different tissues revealed hundreds of octopus-specific genes found in no other animal, many of them highly active in structures such as the brain, skin and suckers. The scientists sequenced the genome of the California two-spot octopus in a study published in the journal Nature.
They also take 8 hours per pound to cook because they keep turning the gas off.
An Italian lady hac them cooked in tomato sauce, not too long or they get tuff.
It was good.
As for the arms, I read or I’m sure I read somewhere that each arm has its own tiny brain.
Arms with tiny brains…hmm…I shouldn’t go there….no.