An octopus is any eight-armed cephalopod mollusk of the order Octopoda. The true octopuses are members of the genus Octopus, a large group of widely distributed shallow-water cephalopods. Learn more about the anatomy, behavior, and reproduction of octopuses in this article.

Lifespan The lifespan of octopuses varies with species. For instance, small-to-medium species, such as the common octopus (Octopus vulgaris), 7 live for about 2 years on average, while larger ones, like the giant Pacific octopus, live between 3 and 5 years in the wild. 8 They survive outside water for a brief span of about 20 to 30 minutes. Reproduction and Life Cycle Although reproduction in ...

Octopuses 101 How many hearts does an octopus have? How do species like the mimic octopus camouflage themselves? Find out about these and other octopus facts.

Ten Wild Facts About Octopuses: They Have Three Hearts, Big Brains and Blue Blood These bizarre creatures have been around for hundreds of millions of years, and for humans, they’ve inspired ...

Ten Wild Facts About Octopuses: They Have Three Hearts, Big Brains and ...

Explore octopuses, clever marine animals famed for intelligence, camouflage, and unique behaviors in seas worldwide.

Description The octopus is a marine mollusk and a member of the class Cephalopoda, more commonly called cephalopods. Cephalopoda means “head foot” in Greek, and in this class of organisms, the head and feet are merged. A ring of eight equally-long arms surround the head. They use their arms to "walk" on seafloor.