BRENT: Scientists have unlocked the genetic secrets of one of Earth’s underwater wonders – the octopus – whose eight sucker-studded arms bestow an otherworldly appearance and large brain place it among the smartest invertebrates.
Researchers on Wednesday unveiled the first complete genome of an octopus or any species of cephalopod, the class of mollusks also including squid, cuttlefish and nautiluses.
“Octopuses and other cephalopods are indeed remarkable creatures,” said University of Chicago biology graduate student Caroline Albertin, who helped lead the study published in the journal Nature.
“They can camouflage themselves with skin that can change its color and texture in the blink of an eye. They have eight prehensile, sucker-lined arms that they can use to grasp, manipulate and even, strangely enough, taste objects, as well as complex, camera-like eyes, and large, elaborate brains that allow them to be active predators with complex behaviors.”
The researchers sequenced the genome of the California two-spot octopus (scientific name Octopus bimaculoides), a relatively small, gray-brown species with two iridescent blue spots on each side of its head. It dwells off Southern California’s coast.
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