Hey there! Today, we’re going on an exciting adventure behind the scenes at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. We’re meeting Alicia, who is an expert in cephalopods. Cephalopods are a group of sea creatures that include octopuses, squids, and cuttlefish. We’re about to learn all about the fascinating Giant Pacific Octopus!
We’re standing near the Giant Pacific Octopus exhibit, and Alicia is introducing us to her special friend, the octopus. This octopus is super strong because its arms are made of pure muscle. When you meet an octopus, it might reach out to touch you with its arms. But be careful! In the middle of its body is a mouth with a beak that can crunch crabs and clams, so it’s best to keep your hands away from there.
Did you know that a Giant Pacific Octopus has about 240 suction cups on each arm? That’s around 2,000 suckers in total! These suckers help the octopus do all sorts of things, like crawling along the ocean floor and exploring crevices. They can even taste and feel textures with their suckers to find food.
Octopuses are incredibly curious and love to learn about their surroundings. If an octopus wants to interact with you, it will come up to say hello. They are also very intelligent. Each octopus has a big central brain and mini brains in each arm. This helps them solve puzzles and stay engaged with their environment.
Have you ever seen an octopus change its appearance? They have special bumps on their skin that they can change to blend in with their surroundings. This camouflage helps them hide from predators and sneak up on prey. It’s like having a superpower!
Here’s a fun fact to impress your friends: the correct plural of octopus is “octopuses.” The word “octopus” comes from Greek, so we use “octopuses” instead of “octopi,” which would be the Latin way of saying it.
Thanks to Alicia and the Giant Pacific Octopus for this amazing adventure! If you want to learn more about the ocean, check out other videos from the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Stay curious and keep exploring the wonders of the sea!
Use clay or playdough to sculpt your own Giant Pacific Octopus. Pay attention to details like the eight arms and the suction cups. Think about how the octopus uses its arms and what makes them special. Share your model with the class and explain what you learned about the octopus’s anatomy.
Conduct an experiment to understand how suction cups work. Use a plunger or a suction cup toy to test how they stick to different surfaces. Discuss how the octopus uses its suction cups in the ocean and what advantages they provide. Record your observations and share them with your classmates.
Draw or paint a picture of an octopus blending into its environment. Use different colors and textures to show how it might camouflage itself. Think about the ocean surroundings and how the octopus uses its skin to hide. Present your artwork and describe the camouflage techniques you used.
Participate in a puzzle-solving activity to mimic the intelligence of an octopus. Work in groups to solve a series of puzzles or riddles. Discuss how octopuses use their brains to solve problems in the wild. Reflect on what makes octopuses such clever creatures.
Play a vocabulary game to learn and remember key terms related to octopuses, such as “cephalopod,” “suction cup,” and “camouflage.” Create flashcards or use an online tool to quiz each other. See who can remember the most terms and their meanings!
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
—
[MUSIC] Hey, I’m behind the scenes here at the Monterey Bay Aquarium with my friend Alicia. Hi, how are you doing? Alicia, what do you study here at the aquarium? I specialize in cephalopods. We are behind the scenes of the Giant Pacific Octopus exhibit, and I’d like to introduce you to a good friend of mine.
It’s going to assess you, and it will decide if it likes you. They are really strong! These arms are made of pure muscle. So here she is. Oh my gosh. Should I just put my hand in there?
Yes! Just so you know, that is the mouth in the middle there, so you want to stay away from it because the beak is made for crunching crabs and clams, and it can definitely cause some harm.
Oh, it looks like she likes you!
I might be part of the exhibit from now on. I don’t think I can get off of this octopus.
And they do leave marks, just as a warning.
So how many suction cups does a Giant Pacific Octopus have on its body?
It has about 240 suckers per arm, which comes out to about 2,000 suckers. They use those suckers for pretty much everything. They crawl along the bottom and stick their arms into crevices, using those suckers to taste and feel textures to determine if they land on a prey item or not.
This octopus is really curious. It just wants to learn about me and the world.
You can tell that they want to interact. If she didn’t want to engage, she wouldn’t be up here.
Are they intelligent?
Yes! They are intelligent in their own way. They have a large central brain, and each arm actually has a little mini brain. They are assessing the situation, which is why we try to keep them engaged. They thrive on sensory input and solving puzzles.
See these little bumps on their skin? They can manipulate those to have different textures, and they use that for camouflage, allowing them to blend in with their surroundings. They are pretty amazing.
WOAH! Does that mean she likes me?
Yes! We’ll say that means she likes you.
Alicia, thank you so much for introducing me to my new best friend, the Giant Pacific Octopus. But one more question to settle it once and for all: What is the plural of octopus?
That is a great question. The plural of octopus is octopuses. The word octopus comes from the Greek “octopod.” “Octopi” would be a Latin pluralization, and since it is a Greek word, it is just “octopuses.”
You heard it from an octopus expert. Be sure to check out the rest of our videos from Monterey Bay. We’ve got a whole playlist full of ocean awesomeness. All right, thanks a lot! Stay curious!
—
Let me know if you need any further modifications!
Octopus – A sea animal with eight arms that is known for its intelligence and ability to escape from predators. – The octopus used its arms to move quickly through the water.
Suction – The process of drawing something in by creating a vacuum or pressure difference. – The octopus uses suction to hold onto rocks and catch its prey.
Cups – Small, round, hollow parts that can hold onto surfaces, like the ones on an octopus’s arms. – The octopus’s arms are covered with suction cups that help it grip objects.
Creatures – Living beings, especially animals, that are part of the natural world. – The ocean is home to many fascinating creatures, including the octopus.
Camouflage – The ability of an animal to blend in with its surroundings to avoid being seen. – The octopus can change its color and texture for camouflage to hide from predators.
Curious – Having a strong desire to learn or know more about something. – The curious octopus explored the new environment in the aquarium.
Intelligent – Having the ability to learn, think, and understand quickly and easily. – The octopus is considered one of the most intelligent creatures in the ocean.
Explore – To travel around a place in order to learn about it or discover new things. – The young scientist was eager to explore the underwater world and study octopuses.
Muscle – A tissue in the body that can contract and relax to create movement. – The octopus uses its strong muscle to squeeze through tight spaces.
Aquarium – A large tank or building where fish and other water animals are kept for people to see. – We visited the aquarium to see the octopus and other sea creatures.
