With a large, slimy head, eight arms and a beak, the octopusas Capt Nemo quickly discoveredis not to be tangledwith.
BEAKED like a parrot, with three hearts, blue-green blood and a sex organ at the end of one arm, the common octopus is a bizarre, shy, jet-propelled mollusc that some regard as monstrous, but many believe is the world’s most intelligent invertebrate. Each year, one million pounds avoirdupois are harvested worldwide for the table.
Octopus vulgaris is a cephalopod or head-footed creature descended from ammonites. It’s cousin to the giant squid, which sports a 10in eyeball and is related to slugs and clams. Our population largely dwells around the English Channel, although it’s found more abundantly in warmer seas, notably the Mediterranean.
It has no skeleton and lost its protective shell way back in the evolutionary past. The large, slimy head is linked to eight, semiautonomous arms and conceals a tough chitinous beak; the lidded, yellowish eyes are frequently remarked upon by divers as being strangely expressive, although, in fact, octopuses (octopi is incorrect, being a Latinised mangling of a Greek name) can also see through the photoreceptors in their skin.
This pixellated dermis contains 200 colour spots per square millimetre, which allows it to change appearence rapidly—one nickname is the ‘sea chameleon’, but, unlike that lizard, an octopus can control the behaviour of its chromatophores by muscular activity. These pigments often oscillate even after death.
Denne historien er fra September 26, 2018-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra September 26, 2018-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
