Octopus

ARTICLE CONTENTS:  |  Links to Other Sites
Octopus is the common name for all 8-armed cephalopod MOLLUSCS; it more properly refers to the largest genus in order Octopoda (over 100 species). Octopuses are also called devil fishes for the "horns" (cirri) behind their eyes, but the image of an 8-legged cat is more apt. They have large slit eyes and explore the sea bottom with catlike intelligence, pouncing on prey, eg, crabs. Canada has 2 of the world's largest octopods: the Pacific Octopus dofleini, a slow but typical benthic (bottom-dwelling) hunter that may exceed 80 kg; and the Atlantic Alloposus mollis, which floats in the PLANKTON like a 40 kg jellyfish. There are 9 smaller species. The paper-thin "shells" of the octopod Argonauta (paper nautilus) occasionally drift to Canadian shores from the tropics. Not true shells, they are boatlike nests secreted by the female and used by her as a brood chamber and retreat.

Author R.K. O'DOR


Links to Other Sites
Canadian Biodiversity Website
A great information source for all budding biologists. Learn about biodiversity theory, natural history, and conservation issues. From McGill’s Redpath Museum.

CephBase
CephBase is a comprehensive multimedia database that provides taxonomic data and other scientific information for all living species of cephalopods (octopus, squid, cuttlefish and nautilus.) Created by James B. Wood and Catriona L.Day. Check out the amazing undersea video clips.

0
0
Absolutely free, with over 40,000 articles in French and English, The Canadian Encyclopedia is the ultimate online resource for all things Canadian, from history, sports, arts, science, technology, and much, much more. Get started at www.TheCanadianEncyclopedia.com
Feature Articles
Elections of 1979 and 1980

Calling elections is like Goldilocks visiting the three bears – which political stew will turn out to be too soon, too late, or just right...?

INSIDE TCE

Gallery
Browse the rich visual resources of The Canadian Encyclopedia through thematic galleries of Canadian Art, History, Nature, People, and Science and Technology.
Interactive Resources
Illustrations, lively text, animations, sounds and games help make learning about Canadian history, art, geography, architecture and other topics entertaining as well as informative.
Canucklehead
The ultimate test of your knowledge of Canada, trivial and otherwise. You can choose from more than 60 dynamic quizzes with visual or text clues. Your scores depend on the speed with which you answer and the number of clues you need. Results are sent to you by email and high scores are posted on the site.
Timeline
This unique resource includes more than 6000 events from Canadian and world history. It can be searched by era, subject, keyword or date. To find out what happened on your birthday, select the month and day of your birth.
100 Greatest Events
This selection of the 100 "greatest" events in Canadian history was made by editor in chief James H. Marsh to draw attention to events that have left an indelible memory in the minds of later generations.