World Octopus Day – October 8, 2022, history significance
World Octopus Day is annually marked on October 8 and we are drawing up plans to celebrate the existence of one of nature’s most iconic sea creatures. Octopuses are remarkably intelligent and adaptable. With some Octopus fossils predating the era of dinosaurs, they are known to be older than most creatures currently existing today. One thing you can be sure of is that there’s more to this amazing sea creature than a bulbous head and eight legs with suction cups.
History of World Octopus Day
October 8, 2007, marks the first commemoration of World Octopus Day. The person or the organization who established this day is unknown. They have created this day to celebrate the highly intelligent creature of the planet. Octopus is a soft-bodied, eight-armed mollusk of the order Octopoda.
Grouped within the class Cephalopoda. The fossils of octopuses date back 300 million years ago. It pre-dates even to the dinosaurs. They are visually stunning and available in various colors and shapes. About 300 species of Octopus are recognized. The octopus is similar to squids, cuttlefish, and nautiloids.
Octopus is bilaterally symmetric with two eyes, three hearts. It has a beak, with its mouth present at the center point of the arms. The soft body can rapidly change its shape, letting octopuses squeeze through the small gaps. The male Octopus uses a specially adapted arm in delivering a bundle of sperm directly into the female’s mantle cavity.
It becomes senescent and dies. The fertilized eggs will be deposit in a den by the female octopus. It takes care of them, and she dies after hatching. The octopuses are venomous. The blue-ringed octopuses are harmful to humans. It has 500 million neurons in its brains and arms. It lets them bypass their instincts, learn lessons and solve problems.
WORLD OCTOPUS DAY TIMELINE
1856
Octopus Arm of Reproduction
Danish zoologist, Japetus Steenstrup demonstrates an octopus hectocotylus arm is used to transfer sperm.
1993
Protection of Octopuses
The United Kingdom legislates a law to protect the common octopus.
2016
Sighting of Strange Octopus
A ‘ghostly’ octopus is captured on video by the Okeanos Explorer, at a depth of 14,000 feet under the ocean’s surface.
2017
Octopus Biomimicry
A German robotics company makes an arm with a soft pneumatically controlled silicone gripper able to grasp objects.
HOW TO CELEBRATE WORLD OCTOPUS DAY
Visit a local aquarium to see live octopuses
A live octopus is one graceful sight to behold. Make it a date to visit one at an aquarium near you.
Make octopus art
A yarn octopus, toilet paper roll octopus, or a drawing or painting of an octopus are some of the artistic things you could do. Put your skillful hands to work!
Create awareness about octopuses
Share awesome facts about octopuses with people and also, importantly, the need to guard against their extinction, due to man’s excessive hunting of them.
5 FACTS ABOUT OCTOPUSES THAT WILL BLOW YOUR MIND
Their blood is blue
Octopuses have blue blood due to the presence of copper in the protein hemocyanin, which carries oxygen around their body.
Regeneration
If an octopus loses an arm, it has the ability to grow it back.
They vary widely in kind
There are over 300 known species of octopus in the world.
They can be very large
The biggest recorded octopus specimen had an arm span of 33 feet and weighed almost 600 lbs.
They swim really fast
An octopus can swim nearly 25 miles per hour for short distances.
WHY WE LOVE WORLD OCTOPUS DAY
It connects us with nature
This day increases our connection with and appreciation of the wonders of nature. This experience can be very inspiring and relaxing.
Shows appropriate appreciation for their amazing features
With interesting facts about octopuses shared on this day, we get to know about the features that make them spectacular. This naturally stirs a deep appreciation for them.
It gives us a delicious meal to savor
As much as we cherish octopuses, we can’t deny how tasty and delicious a bowl of octopus soup is. This day opens the door to experiencing that delicacy, which is also a rich source of Omega-3 fatty acids.
