Saturday, January 5, 2013

In an Octopus' Garden

At the Gulf Specimen Marine Lab in Panacea, we learned that octopuses are curious animals that like to play with toys. There were three octopuses in this tank. A volunteer showed us that one had  a little rubber toy with it up under a rock. Another was playing with the volunteer's hand and with a floating bracelet.





We also learned that the blood of an octopus lacks hemoglobin, which is what binds with oxygen to turn our blood red. Instead of iron, octopus blood contains more copper and is blue.

1 comment:

  1. Your blog has provided a life-line to me in land-locked Plano, Tx. I really enjoy learning about all the changes in north Florida; I grew up in Tallahasse.
    I knew about brinicles but could not imagine how they formed--fascinating!
    Thank you.

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