Pipin Shyly Shares: I Have Three Hearts!

Um… h-hi, I’m Pipin. I usually hide behind Lumi’s shell, but Pumi says I should be brave and share something once in a while. So… here’s a secret about my body. Don’t be shocked! 🐙

Three hearts, blue blood

• Octopuses have three hearts. Two small hearts pump blood to the gills, and one main heart pumps blood to the whole body.
• My blood is blue! Human blood is red because of hemoglobin, which contains iron. Octopus blood uses hemocyanin, which contains copper, so it looks bluish when it carries oxygen.
• When an octopus swims, its main heart can pause for a moment. Swimming is tiring, which is why many octopuses prefer to crawl along the seafloor. I agree!

Arms that think along

Most of an octopus’s nerve cells, about two thirds, are in its arms, not its head. Each arm can feel, “taste” with its suckers, and move on its own without waiting for orders from the brain. Sometimes my arm waves hello before I even get the chance to feel shy. 🙈

My real cousins: flapjack octopuses

Real flapjack octopuses live in the deep sea, hundreds to more than a thousand meters below the surface. Their bodies go flat like a pancake (a flapjack) when they rest on the seafloor. The ear-like things on their heads are actually fins for swimming, and their arms are joined by webbing like an umbrella.

One more thing: unlike many other octopuses, flapjack octopuses don’t have an ink sac. So when I’m shy, I can’t escape behind a cloud of ink. Oh well, I’ll just hide behind Lumi. 💛

I may have three hearts, but all of them pound whenever I have to speak up. Thanks for reading all the way to the end!