Cephalopods
Eight arms, big brains!
A group of soft-bodied ocean animals with tentacles and suckers. They're related to snails but live in the water.
What makes them this type?
- Soft, boneless bodies that can squeeze through tiny spaces
- Long tentacles for catching food and sensing surroundings
- Special skin cells called chromatophores that help them change color
- Three hearts that pump blue-green blood throughout their body
Examples
Octopus Can lose a leg to escape predators, then regrow it later!
Squid Has the largest eyes of any animal relative to its body size
Motion Notes (for Animation & Drawing)
- Move slowly using jet propulsion from their mantle
- Can quickly change color and texture to hide or communicate
- Use arms for crawling, swimming, and catching prey
Learn More
No internal skeleton (boneless)
Soft, flexible bodies that can stretch and compress
Fun Facts
- Cephalopods have the largest brain-to-body mass ratio in the animal kingdom
- They can solve puzzles and even open jars!
- Some species of octopus can live up to 5 years in captivity