Everything Octopus

Cultural Attache: Denver filmmaker to Debut Documentary on Psychic Octopus

2012-01-24T14:16:00.000-08:00

Unless you were living under a rock in 2010, you probably heard quite a bit about Paul, the psychic octopus. He has since passed on to the big octopus's garden in the sky, however he hasn't left our hearts, and a Denver filmmaker is about to bring Paul to the big screen!

(O)(o)(O)(o)(O)>

Originally posted on BizJournals.com
Written by L. Wayne Hicks

Paul the Octopus knew the score. Or at least the outcome.

An octopus housed in a German aquarium, Paul rose to worldwide fame when he managed to accurately predict each of the winners in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, soccer’s premier event. He went on to predict — again, accurately — the winner of the final.

Paul retired from predictions after the World Cup and died later that year. He’s gone, but not forgotten.

Alexandre O. Philippe, the Swiss-born filmmaker who now calls Denver home, is preparing for a March release of a documentary about Paul’s amazing feat.

“The Life and Times of Paul the Psychic Octopus” isn’t Philippe’s first attempt documenting quirks in the animal and human world. He made “Chick Flick: The Miracle Mike Story” in 2003 about the famed chicken that continued to live after his beheading.

A year later, he followed that up with “Earthlings: Ugly Bags of Mostly Water,” about Klingon-obsessed fans of “Star Trek.” Philippe delved into the fanaticism of “Star Wars” fans in his 2010 documentary “The People vs. George Lucas.”

Philippe says he started thinking about a documentary about Paul soon after the World Cup began. He wasn’t following the matches closely. Despite being European, Philippe confesses he’s not a huge soccer fan.

But what Paul was doing was impossible to ignore.

“It was inevitable to find Paul in the news during the World Cup because he was everywhere,” Philippe says. “It’s the story I’m really drawn to because it’s pop culture, it’s really quirky and unique and it starts a lot of debate.”

Each day during the World Cup, Paul was presented with a choice of food: a mussel was placed in two boxes inside his tank. Each box was decorated with the flag of one of the competing countries. Whatever box Paul picked from was considered to be his prediction.

Paul predicted Serbia would defeat Germany when “Serbia had virtually no chance of winning and yet they won. Bookmakers will tell you the odds are astronomical. They say you can’t really quantify what Paul did,” Philippe says.

“It’s interesting to talk to bookmakers about Paul,” he says. “They believe Paul was a psychic. There believe there’s no other explanation. The statistics experts think Paul was lucky. To be honest, I’m trying to be as rational as I can about this. I can’t make up my mind one way or the other. It’s truly impossible to do.”

Philippe secured the rights to make the official documentary about Paul, a process that involved corresponding with the aquarium, negotiating with “Paul’s worldwide agent” and writing a treatment for the film.

The finished documentary will certainly run for 52 minutes, to fit into a television’s broadcast hour. If Philippe believes he can get enough for a full-length feature without stretching the story, he’ll make a 75- or 85-minute version.

Philippe traveled 15,000 miles across Europe in his quest to tell Paul’s story, interviewing fans, journalists, statisticians, bookmakers, octopus specialists and “animal communicators” who claimed to be able to speak for Paul.

“We basically asked Paul questions through them,” Philippe says. “That’s where it gets a little weird.”

Octopuses Edit Proteins to Beat the Cold

2012-01-12T07:08:00.000-08:00

So that's how they do it! This is a really interesting article from Wired.com explaining a recent discovery in the world of octopus biology that sheds light on octopuses amazing ability to live in frigid temperatures.

Written by Mitch Leslie

An octopus dwelling in the frigid waters of the Antarctic doesn’t wear gloves on its tentacles, but it has found another way to endure the cold. A new study shows that this animal uses a trick called RNA editing to customize crucial nervous system proteins to work at low temperatures. The paper is the first to reveal that RNA editing, not just changes to a specific gene, can lead to adaptations.

Low temperatures hamper certain proteins that allow the nervous system to send signals. When a nerve cell fires, protein channels in its membrane open or close to allow various ions in or out. And when the electrical charge across the cell membrane returns to normal, the ion channels that let potassium ions out shut. But frigid temperatures can delay the potassium channels’ closing, hindering the neuron’s ability to fire again. So researchers hypothesized that species inhabiting frigid climates have modified their potassium channels so they work better in the cold.

Molecular neurophysiologist Joshua Rosenthal of the University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus in San Juan and his graduate student Sandra Garrett figured they knew how that adjustment would occur. “We thought we were going to see changes at the level of the gene,” Rosenthal says. That is, they expected the potassium channel genes from cold-living species would have evolved so that they produce a slightly different protein that performs better at low temperatures.

The pair recently tested their suspicion by comparing an octopus species that lives in frigid Antarctic seas with another dwelling on a Puerto Rican reef where the water ranges from 25° to 35°C. To their surprise, they found that the potassium channel genes in the two species had almost identical DNA sequences. Next, the researchers inserted the genes into frog egg cells, which then manufactured each protein and installed it in their plasma membrane. This procedure allowed the researchers to measure the electrical activity of each species’ channel.

Rosenthal and Garrett discovered that when made by the frog eggs, the potassium channels from the two species functioned much the same. As a result, the pair calculated, if the two species made these versions of the potassium channels in their respective habitats, the Antarctic octopus’s channel would close 60 times slower than that of its Puerto Rican counterpart.

So how does the polar creature keep its nerve cells firing normally? There’s another way, RNA editing, to change a protein. To make the protein coded for by a gene, cells synthesize an RNA version of the DNA that serves as a blueprint to construct the protein. During RNA editing, cells amend the nucleotide sequence of the RNA, which can alter the sequence of amino acids in the resulting protein and change the protein’s function. The Antarctic octopus edits its RNA at nine sites that change the amino acid sequence of the potassium channel, the researchers report online today in Science. One of these sites, known as I321V, was particularly important for adapting to the cold: The change more than doubles the potassium channel’s closing speed.

The researchers also gauged the amount of RNA editing in two more tropical species, two temperate species, and two species that live in the Arctic. The colder the species’ habitat, the more likely it was to make RNA edits at the I321V site. “What our paper really adds,” Rosenthal says, “is that this process can be used to help adapt to the environment.”

Other researchers praise the study for revealing a new way for organisms to adapt. “There’s this whole different molecular mechanism for increasing protein diversity,” says molecular neurobiologist Ronald Emeson of the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. Whether RNA editing shapes other traits is the next question to answer, adds geneticist Brenton Graveley of the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington. The paper “sets the stage for showing that RNA editing can have a big role in adaptation,” he says.

This story provided by ScienceNOW, the daily online news service of the journal Science.

Video: Octopus Caught While Kayak Fishing

2012-01-10T13:37:00.000-08:00

And this is why I love Washington...

Video Description
Bryce hooked into a octopus which he originally thought was a snag. I was able to get some pretty sweet underwater shots while it was next to his kayak. The octopus was kept and enjoyed. It swallowed a pretty large hook so its survival was unlikely. I used a Kodak Playsport (Zx3) to film this.

Further info for the people commenting: For the record, I didn't kill it, or eat it. I just filmed it. Also, it was not wasted. Its sacrifice was well respected among those that did eat it. I'm not a biologist of any kind, but a simple search on the internet shows that octopuses are not a rare animal. In fact, there is evidence that suggests they are overpopulated in their range. They have a life-span of 3 to 5 years so I'm guessing because of its size that this one was nearing the end of that span. So, I would rather it be killed quickly and not wasted than it be set free to suffer and starve for the last year or so of its life with a six inch hook in its mouth.

Sneaky Octopus Mug

2012-01-09T07:07:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite gifts this holiday season helps me start my day the octopus way. Behold, the sneaky octopus mug!

I've found this mug available on many sites, although the least expensive I've discovered has been a favorite fun stuff resource of mine, McPhee.com.

"Our team of scientists has just recently discovered a new species of cephalopod, the mug-dwelling octopus. This tentacled, porcelain mollusk prefers the cozy confines of a simple coffee mug to the vast depths of the ocean. Each 3-1/4" tall, porcelain mug features one of these odd little octopuses on the bottom. Great for coffee, tea or ramen noodles! Dishwasher and microwave safe."

The octopus mug comes in a neato box too!

I highly recommend this octopus mug as a gift - to yourself or a fellow ceph-lover!

Pale Octopus, Hairy-chested Yeti Crab and Other New Species Found

2012-01-05T06:07:00.000-08:00

Scientists exploring underwater vents near Antarctica find a world of creatures thriving in temperatures of 400C

Alok Jha

guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 4 January 2012

A world of previously unseen creatures has been found thriving next to boiling vents of water, several miles under the surface of the Southern Ocean near Antarctica. Hundreds of hairy-chested yeti crabs, a mysterious-looking pale octopus and colonies of limpets, snails and barnacles were found by British scientists at a hydrothermal vent located in the ocean's East Scotia Ridge.

Prof Alex Rogers of Oxford University used a remotely operated vehicle called Isis to scout the sea bed around the ridge, which spans about 2.4km and features springs of black, smoky water that can reach temperatures of almost 400C (752F). The hydrothermal vents are powered by underwater volcanoes, and the scalding temperatures and rich mineral content of the water gives rise to vast rocky chimneys that support a wide variety of life forms.

An image of some of the thriving life found beneath the Southern Ocean. Photograph: Oxford University/PA "The visually dominant species are the yeti crabs, which occur in fantastically high densities, up to 600 per square metre around the southern ridge," said Rogers, who led the expedition aboard the RSS James Cook in January 2010. "Also high densities of stalked barnacles, a large snail from a group called the peltospiroids, and we've also got small, green limpets which occur all over the vents."

The first-known yeti crab, Kiwa hirsuta, was described living near a hydrothermal vent in the south pacific in 2005 and, since then, several species have been discovered in different parts of the undersea world. Around other hydrothermal vents, however, these creatures tend occur in lower numbers; and the new species found in the ESR are not only more numerous but also visually distinct.

"Hirsuta has long hairs on its limbs and its claws, whereas our yeti crabs have extremely hairy chests. One of the nicknames of the crabs which developed during the cruise was the Hasselhoff crabs because they had these dense mats of [hair] on their undersides, the equivalents of their chests."

Another striking creature spotted by the scientists was a pale octopus, which was photographed by the team. Rogers suspected it might be a new species related to the Vulcanoctopus hydrothermalis seen at other underwater vents around the world.

In total, the expedition brought back more than 12,000 samples of rocks, bacteria and animals. Rogers said: "One of the staggering things we did find is that these vents are completely different to those seen anywhere else – the animals existing at these vents are almost all new to science," he said. The findings were published on Tuesday in the journal PLoS Biology.

"What we didn't find is almost as surprising as what we did," said Rogers. "Many animals such as tubeworms, vent mussels, vent crabs, and vent shrimps, which are found in hydrothermal vents in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans, simply weren't there."

Last week, scientists at the University of Southampton announced the discovery of new creatures in the so-called "Dragon Vent" in the south-west Indian Ocean.

Dr Jon Copley, a marine biologist at the University of Southampton who led the exploration of the Dragon Vent and is also an author on the latest PLoS Biology research paper, said that exploration of the world's deep-sea vents was a race against time.

"The exploitation of the deep ocean is overtaking its exploration. We're fishing in deeper and deeper waters, oil and gas is moving into deeper waters and now there's mining starting to take place in deep waters. We need to understand how species disperse and evolve in the deep oceans if we're going to make responsible decisions about managing their resources."

Rogers added that the vents revealed much about how deep water communities have evolved, and how they are distributed across the world's oceans. "In the space of a single eight-week cruise, we've changed our level of understanding of these systems completely. We've changed our ideas about how vent systems are distributed and the factors that may influence that distribution. What that tells us is that our level of knowledge of the deep sea in general is extremely poor indeed."

He added that hydrothermal vents had already changed the way scientists thought about how life exists on earth. "They told scientists that life could exist in the absence of sunlight – you could have food webs based on mechanical energy. They were also informative about the extreme conditions under which life could exist, they told us about where else in the universe life may occur. Hydrothermal vent biology has stimulated a whole new science of astrobiology."

Ed Hardy Shark and Octopus Shirt

2012-01-04T07:04:00.000-08:00

You don't need to be on the Jersey Shore to love this shirt! Featuring two deep sea favorites, this reversable shirt boasts four awesome images, two of which are octopuses. As though that wasn't enough - it's on sale! Check out this awesome octopus shirt at EdHardyShop.com.

Rose Parade 2012: Cheers, jeers greet 'Occupy Octopus' human float

2012-01-02T13:41:00.000-08:00

Hello fellow cephalophiles! Welcome to 2012! Check out the article below; how do you feel about the octopus being used as a symbol of the Occupy Movement? (O)(o)(O)(o)(O)>

January 2, 2012

LATimes.com

Hundreds of Occupy the Rose Parade protesters marched down Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena on Monday after the real event was over, lining up behind police squad cars, tow trucks and the last official float to carry their message of economic inequality.

The reaction from the crowd, which was dispersing, was mixed, with some boos, but most people watched quietly or with amusement.

A member of a small group called the Bible Believers, which marches every year at the end of the parade, yelled to the Occupiers: "You people are no more than communist revolutionaries who destroy our country."

When on Occupier started to respond, a member of the movement's "peacekeeping" team stopped him and said he would be better off marching than arguing. The team was formed by the protesters to prevent confrontations.

Most of the occupiers marched carrying banners and homemade signs. A couple of dozen teamed up to carry a human float called "Occupy Octopus" -- a head and eight tentacles made of plastic bags attached to a frame. Sara Daleider of Boyle Heights helped with one of the octopus' tentacles. "It's really a powerful thing to be connected to other people ... and to walk in this really popular parade," she said.

Some occupiers carried a 250-foot preamble to the Constitution written on a tarp with signatures of Occupy protesters on it. Another tarp made to look like a preamble began with the words "We the Corporation."

A group of people on an apartment balcony cheered and waved, as did people in the grandstands. One man yelled, "Get a job!" and "You guys had your 15 minutes."

Roger Bruce of San Clemente, a member of the peacekeeping group, called the march "awesome. It's much bigger than we anticipated." The peacekeepers had no confrontations, only a few nasty comments from onlookers, he said.

Protester Art Goldberg, 70, of Echo Park told a young woman as he walked past: "Don't watch history, make it."

She crossed under the yellow caution tape and joined the march.

Octopus Baby Blanket

2011-12-19T13:32:00.000-08:00

Looking for something snuggly and octabulous for your newborn? I found just the thing for ya!

Etsy.com seller, Angela Curtis, has been crocheting for over 23 years and has been kind enough to share her creations with the world through her many Etsy stores. There are beautiful baby blankies, plushies, scarves and more available at All Things Granny, including this adorable octopus baby blanket.

"Crocheted Baby Blanket - Granny Border Octopus

Granny Square Baby Blanket made with High Quality Acrylic Blend Yarns.

This blanket was lovingly crocheted in a stitch pattern that I call the thermal stitch, because the finished product looks similar to a thermal blanket.

The newest addition to our line of Baby Blanket is our Octopus Motif. He measures 8" x 8", and is securely sewn down to the blanket in one corner.

**This blanket is a Made to Order item, and will be sent to you within 4 weeks time, ready to use, perfect for a gift, and comes from my non-smoking home.**

You may specify different colors if you like.

It is very soft. Measures approx 20" xx 30".

With my 35 years of crochet experience I bring a quality product to you. Each of my products is well made, and should be considered an heirloom piece to pass down in families for many generations to come. All ends are tied into the work, all stitches are uniform.

This blanket is ready to use, perfect for a gift, and comes from my non-smoking home. It will be shipped to you in a nicely wrapped package."

Shipwreck! Fabulous Octopus Top Hat from Etsy.com

2011-12-15T07:30:00.000-08:00

Etsy.com seller, JellyfishVintage aka Mrs. Jones believes that quality and craftsmanship are essential for creating memorable clothing and accessories that will last a lifetime and ensure that you always look fabulous! Mrs. Jones has handcrafted a fantastic made-to-order octopus hat worthy of even the most discriminating cephalophile. Behold...

"This mini top hat facinator, is by far my favorite i have ever made. It is a hand constructed top hat lined in high quality soft crushed velvet, in black and moss green, the it is adorned with jeweled golden octopus legs and golden sea shells, even a gold authentic starfish perches on top. There is fisherman's net draped over it and dried moss too, peacock feathers and a chained emerald swinging on the base, the clams even have pearls! Perfect for a pirate who wants to be a bit out of the ordinary!

Secured with a non slip headband that can be hidden under the hair.

Surprisingly lightweight and comfy for all night wear"

This stunning octopus hat and several other cleverly crafted goodies are available at JellyfishVintage. Happy top hat shopping!

Sea Lion vs. Octopus

2011-12-13T07:00:00.000-08:00

Originally posted December 12, 2011

KPLU.org - news for Seattle and the Northwest

Last Wednesday, Dec. 7, Everett Herald photographer Mark Mulligan caught a rare sight on camera – a sea lion feeding on an octopus. (See above video)

It is a seldom occurrence to witness the splendor of marine life. The limited encounters that we have with such fuels curiosity and interest.

Seattle aquarium’s curator of mammals and birds, Traci Belting, shared some insight into the diet of sea lions.

“Local sea lions are opportunistic and will eat anything they can,” said Belting. “In the past, necropsies on sea lions have found octopus beaks in their stomachs.”

It’s not uncommon for sea lions to feed on octopus, given its wide dietary patterns. Sea lions don’t chew their food; the only time we are able to see them feed is when they surface to tear their prey into smaller pieces to swallow whole.

“Octopus are usually pretty evasive and make for cunning prey,” said Belting.

Octopus Walks on Land

2011-12-12T08:00:00.000-08:00

Originally posted November 23, 2011

CBSNews.com

(CBS) - The Animal Kingdom is full of wondrous creatures. We are constantly surprised at what animals are capable of. But this is just nuts. Did you know that an octopus could walk on land? Because I had no idea. And this video blew my mind!

There have been videos of octopi on land before, but they're usually along the lines of a little guy falling out of a tank or being placed on the ground. This rubbery explorer just straight up walks out of the water. It's even carrying a crab the whole time.

It is well known that octopuses are exceptionally intelligent. It seems like there's nothing these charming cephalopods can't do.

Octopuses Capable of Hand-Eye Coordination

2011-05-29T18:10:00.000-07:00

By Helen Albert, CosmosMagazine.com
May 30, 2011

LONDON: Octopuses are able to use visual cues to guide a single arm to a location, a complex movement that was not thought possible due to their lack of a rigid body structure, say researchers.

The octopus' arm is made up primarily of muscle with no skeletal support, so octopuses were previously believed to have a low level of body awareness and only limited control over their limbs. However, this study has shown for the first time that they can direct a single arm in a complex movement to a target location.

"Octopuses have a central nervous system that is advanced for an invertebrate, but simple compared to a vertebrate, yet it is capable of controlling a much more 'difficult' arm," said lead study author Tamar Gutnick, a researcher at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel.

"Because of the unique body plan of the octopus its ability to control a single arm in a complex movement is quite amazing."

Too soft for complex movement?

Octopuses were thought to have no conscious central nervous system-directed (CNS) control over their arms with movement being controlled solely by the activity in the complex array of nerves (PNS) present in the limbs.

However, the visual aspect of the task carried out by the octopuses in this study suggests that there must be an exchange of information between the CNS and the PNS during such behaviours.

Photo by Tamar Gutnick
In Gutnick and colleagues' experiment, six out of seven octopuses succeeded in using a single arm to select a visually marked compartment containing a food reward in a three-choice, plexiglass maze.

The animals were required to reach the compartment containing the food reward at least five times in a row out of a total number of trials ranging from 61 to 211. The octopuses could only use one arm to complete the task, as the tube leading to each compartment was only wide enough for one limb.

How brains control behaviour

The team observed that the chance of a successful trial improved significantly during the last 20 trials for each animal compared with the preceding trials.

They also noted that the animals seemed to learn that they needed to see the three boxes to improve their chances of getting the reward and were significantly more likely to be in view of the boxes during the last 20 trials than during the earlier tests.

The octopuses also adapted their arm use strategy from mostly 'straight', involving a direct unrolling or pushing upwards of the arm through the tube, to a 'search' strategy, involving probing and crawling in the central tube and above the choice boxes before deciding on a compartment.

Photo by Michael Kuba
It's not automatic

"This is a very important step in our knowledge of octopus behaviour," commented Jennifer Mather, a professor of psychology and expert on octopus behaviour at Lethbridge University in Alberta, Canada.

"The octopus has a large number of complex arms, and the question of how they manage to guide all of them is a fascinating one. We had previously thought that it might be fairly automatic or that their control was more at the local level within the arm. This is good evidence that local control need not be all," she added.

Studies involving octopus motor control, such as this, are the foundation of a current European Union research project to develop a robot octopus (Octopus Project). The aim of the project is to design and produce a soft-bodied robot that moves and squeezes through narrow spaces in a similar way to a biological octopus.

"Depending on the size of the robot its use could be from medicine (constructing new soft-bodied ultra flexible surgical tools) to big robots that could be used in search and rescue," said Gutnick, who is continuing her research on motor control.

"We are continuing to look at single arm tasks where animals are taught using a variety of senses, exploring the involvement of central and peripheral information," she said.

Octopus Chair by Maximo Riera

2011-05-19T07:30:00.000-07:00

As both a lover of everything octopus and interior design, this piece really tickled my fancy! Truly a work of art, this is the throne I imagine the evil octopus overlord ruling his kingdom from...

Text from DesignBoom.com

Spanish artist maximo riera has designed 'octopus chair', a limited edition piece that is part of a larger collection entitled 'animal chairs'. The series consists of more than fifteen different works where the marriage between furniture and animal is the main component.

Choosing the chair based on its banality in our everyday lives, the series looks to bring life to the basic function of the object, making it more present while creating a stronger connection between the spectator, the chair and its environment.

Requiring a team of over thirty professionals and four different companies, the chair was produced using a CNC milling machine. mechanized sculpting tools then produced a series of forms cut from foam blocks. Each part was assembled, glued, sanded and painted by hand to create an object that transmits a dynamic sense of movement.

Suckers! Frugal Kiwi's Needle-Felted Octopus

2011-05-18T08:28:00.000-07:00

This beautiful specimen is a felt sculpture made by Frugal Kiwi. Thank you to Everything Octopus reader, Melanie McMinn for contributing this link. Melanie also did the fun and fabulous web design so be sure to let her know how much ya like it once you visit the Frugal Kiwi blog!

The pictures below are of a handmade needle-felt common octopus. To read more about the process of making this beauty and some cheeky reader comments, please visit FrugalKiwi.co.nz.

Any other Needle-felters out there? The Everything Octopus community would love to see your creations!

Video: Real Octomom Gives Birth to Little Octopods

2011-05-16T18:50:00.000-07:00

May 13, 2011
FoxNews.com

Here's something you don't see every day: the birth of thousands of octopi, caught on film.

These tiny octopuses are the offspring of a Caribbean Octopus vulgaris acquired by the Steinhart Aquarium at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco in January. Soon after the octopus moved into the aquarium, biologist Richard Ross writes on his blog at Advanced Aquarist, she surprised everyone by laying eggs. Three weeks later, those eggs hatched, turning the octopus' tank into a "snow globe" of baby octopi, or paralarvae.

Each hatchling is 0.04 inches (1 to 2 millimeters) long. After they were born, the aquarium fed the baby octopi even tinier brine shrimp and zooplankton. Unfortunately, Ross wrote, octopus paralarvae are difficult to keep alive in captivity, though many survived up to 26 days.

The tale has a sad end for mom, too. This species of octopus stops eating after she lays her thousands of eggs and then dies soon after they hatch. The mother O. vulgaris lived about two weeks after her larvae emerged, Ross told LiveScience.

Octopus Neckties

2011-05-14T11:14:00.000-07:00

Nothing says "I'm all business" like an octopus necktie, right? For those who want a little fun with their formality, may I suggest a visit to Etsy.com seller, RokGear. This is the shop for octopus neckties for dads, grads, and cephalofiends alike! Check out the amazing selection of colorful octopus neckties

Octopus Bow Tie, $22
Boys Octopus Clip-on Tie, $22
Octopus Necktie, $28

Description...

New Design RokGear original hand drawn pencil to paper to print features several octopus in a paisley type design this design has some sweet detail very sharp and clean enlarge the pictures for a better look.
hand print silk screen using 100% toxic free lead free solvent free earth friendly water base ink, heat cured to last the life of the necktie.

More details at the shop site.

There's plenty of time to place your order for Father's Day and Graduation...or simply because octopus ties are awesome and you've got to have one!

Newsy.com Explores the Phenomenon of the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus

2011-05-10T07:29:00.000-07:00

The internet sensation, the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus made headlines again recently when a study was conducted to test the gullibility of kids who use the internet. A group of 7th graders was instructed to write essays on the Tree Octopus, yet failed to realize it was a hoax. The obvious conclusion? The internet is making kids more gullible.

However, the study failed to illuminate a number of facts and has been criticized for twisting some of the information presented. Newsy.com digs deeper with an comprehensive - and fun-to-read - article and video exploring the truth behind "the facts".

Multisource political news, world news, and entertainment news analysis by Newsy.com

Newsy is a multiple perspective news analyzer. They are the only
video news analyzer out there bringing two minute stories online, on
major Android cell phones, the iPhone and even the iPad. Newsy covers
all angles of the story leaving viewers with a convenient place to
find balanced new coverage on the go.

Judge Rules Against Walla Walla Octopus Mural

2011-05-09T07:37:00.000-07:00

This is a follow-up to a story that garnered media attention back in October. Read the original post, Octo-fuss in Walla Walla Continues and the March follow-up, Purple Octopus to Get Day in Court for the full scoop.

(o)(O)(o)(O)(o)>

The Associated Press
Walla Walla, Washington

A judge has ruled in favor of the city of Walla Walla in a dispute over a purple octopus mural above a downtown toy store.

The Union-Bulletin reports the judge has rejected the store owner's claim that the city sign code is unconstitutional.

Inland Octopus toy store owner Bob Catsiff went to Walla Walla County Superior Court trying to save the giant purple octopus mural that was painted in September. He calls it art.

The city says it's a sign code violation, and the fine has been growing at $100 a day.

---

Information from: Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, http://www.union-bulletin.com

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T11:45:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day from Everything Octopus!

Here are some interesting facts about mother octopuses (saying "octo-mom" is just out of the question for obvious reasons!):

The female octopus births about 200,000 eggs (depending on species) at a single time, the only time in her life when she will reproduce.

She carefully cares for these eggs during the incubation period, which generally lasts for one month (once again, this time period can vary depending on the species). She blows currents of water over them to keep them oxygenated and guards them from predators. During this time, she does not hunt and begins to weaken.

Occasionally, a female octopus will ingest some of her own eggs for sustenance.

Once the eggs hatch, the babies are on their own. The mother is left weakened from the constant care she has given her hatchlings, sacrificing her own needs for theirs.

Mother octopus leaves the lair in her weakened state and is unable to fend off predators.

Mother octopus guarding her brood.
Even in the octopus world, a mother's love know no boundaries! THANK YOU to all the moms out there who have given so much to raise us all. Now, if you want a good laugh about octopus mommy-hood, check out this hilarious post from The Oatmeal, This is Why an Octopus is More Awesome Than Your Mom.

Support the Japan Disaster Relief Efforts with Octopus Jewelry!

2011-05-04T16:26:00.000-07:00

Hello fellow cephalophiles, sorry for the long break; my Mac Mini saw it's last day of octoblogging and it took a while to get back up-and-running. Now let's get to it...

Etsy.com seller, Leviticus is supporting the Japan Disaster Relief efforts while beautifying the world with her bodacious jewelry. For a limited time, all items in the shop are on sale and 50% of the sale goes to the American Red Cross to support the Japan Disaster Relief.

Highly detailed squid tentacle wrap ring with a Czech crystal adorned suction cup. Available in Rhodium plated with black Czech crystal, 18k gold plated with black Czech crystal, black gold plated with a clear Czech crystal.

These rings are Leviticus original designs that are hand cast and plated.

Available in sizes: 6, 7, 8
***CURRENTLY SOLD OUT IN BLACK GOLD SIZES 7, 8***

Please mention your size as well as color preference during checkout.

****50% of ALL Leviticus Jewelry sales will be donated to the RED CROSS for the Japan Disaster Relief!****

Support a great cause and look good doing it! Happy shopping!

8 Legged Entertainment

2011-04-18T13:34:00.000-07:00

This is, by far, one of the most interesting sites I've seen in my search for everything octopus: It's Tako, the chef! "Deep Fried Live!", Tako's cooking show, claims to be the world's only cooking show hosted by an appetizer. Check out the video below to see what they mean...

"Deep Fried Live! is the ultimate culinary spectacle, offering cooking tips, in depoth food science, recipes, and links to the latest cookware & ingredients. It's also a thorough exploration of how much damage one octopus can do with an unlimited supply of kitchen artillery.

More cooking lessons, videos, and octoriffic goodness available at TakoTheOctopus.com and 8Legged.com

Octopus Light Switch Cover

2011-04-17T10:18:00.000-07:00

Etsy.com seller, WoodenDoll has a beautiful shop filled with lots of affordable ways to spruce up your interior - octopus-styyyle! Check out this bright and beautiful octopus light switch cover that sells for only $10. Lots of other great art and light switch covers available as well. Enjoy!

Product Description

Octo Plasmic Light Switch Art Cover. Colorful and fun light switchplate covers that bring a room alive. These fun and eye catching switch plate covers are bursting with art!

Art Covers are made from my designs and carefully applied to the plastic cover using deco podge and then sealed for protection. Measurements: 3.25" x 5" oversized.

Noise in Oceans Leads to "Severe Acoustic Trauma" in Octopus, Squid

2011-04-15T22:41:00.000-07:00

Jeremy Hance
mongabay.com
April 12, 2011

Researchers have documented for years how noise pollution impacts dolphins in whales, but a new study in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment finds that even low intensity noise can severely injure cephalopods, which include octopus, squid, and cuttlefish. The injuries are bad enough to possibly lead to stranding and death, thereby providing a feasible explanation for a number of recent strandings, including giant squid washing ashore in Spain.

"This is the first study indicating a severe impact on invertebrates, an extended group of marine species that are not known to rely on sound for living," says Michel André, Technical University of Catalonia in Barcelona, in a press release.

Researchers subjected four species of cephalopods—European squid (Loligo vulgaris), common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis), common octopus (Octopus vulgaris), and Southern shortfin squid (Illex coindeti)—to low intensity and low frequency sounds (between 50 and 400 Hertz) for two hours. Following the noise exposure, researchers found damage to species' statocysts, which are sensory organs that balance the cephalopods. Inside the statocysts hair cells had ruptured, nerve fibers had swelled, and some statocysts even suffered lesions. These holes continued to grow larger hours after exposure.

The European octopus, and other cephalopods, are more sensitive to even low-frequency sounds than researchers expected. Photo by: Gewöhnlicher Krake. “We expected some lesions after noise exposure but not the level of trauma that we found. What we found was typical of what you might find in mammals after violent, high intensity sound exposure,” André told The Great Beyond.

Given the low intensity of the sounds used in the experiment, researchers believe the 'louder' sounds encountered in the ocean would significantly impair squids, octopi, and cuttlefish.

"The impact of continuous, high intensity noise pollution in the oceans could be considerable. For example, we can predict that, since the statocyst is responsible for balance and spatial orientation, noise-induced damage to this structure would likely affect the cephalopod's ability to hunt, evade predators and even reproduce; in other words, this would not be compatible with life," André explains.

Underwater noise pollution is caused by offshore drilling—and other excavation activities that use seismic surveys to locate deposits—cargo transportation, industrial fishing, and even recreational boating. Studies have shown that some marine animals actually become louder to be heard when confronted with deafening sounds in their environment.

"It left us with several questions," André says, "is noise pollution capable of impacting the entire web of ocean life? What other effects is noise having on marine life, beyond damage to auditory reception systems? And just how widespread and invasive is sound pollution in the marine environment?"

And The Winner Is...

2011-04-14T13:08:00.000-07:00

As generated by Random.org...

#17 - ALYSSA!!!

Alyssa contributed some of her very own art, which you can see below. Very cool!

Thank you sooo much to everyone who contributed their fabulous finds! Expect to see many of your links featured in upcoming posts. Stay tuned as we continue to explore and celebrate everything octopus!

Everything Octopus: Cephalo-link Contest!

2011-04-06T11:05:00.000-07:00

Everything Octopus readers are a fun and creative bunch! I'm constantly amazed at the awesome emails I get from readers letting me know about all sorts of octopus goodies so that I may share them on the blog. I thought it would neat to let EVERYONE contribute and to say thank you for your contribution and readership, by awarding a FREE prize to one lucky contestant.

And by "prize" I mean "PRIZE"! Behold the beautiful blue octopus vintage book page art print from Etsy.com seller, DreameryStudio. Absolutely FREE to the winner!

This one-of-a-kind octopus print (sans frame) can be yours, all yours!

To Enter...

1) You must be a Follower of Everything Octopus. If you're not already a Follower, go to the right hand side of the page and click "Follow" under the "Follow the Octopus" headline. You'll automatically get Everything Octopus updates and be part of a wild n' zany ceph-loving community!

2) Comment on this post with a link to anything and everything octopus related that you think other readers may want to know about. You can post a link to your favorite news article, artwork, something available for purchase, a video, book, an octopus picture you snapped, absolutely anything!

Each comment containing your cephalo-link will count as an entry. YOU CAN ENTER AS MANY TIMES AS YOU WANT.

***Be sure to include your email address so that we may contact you and tell you you've WON! If your email is not included in your blogger profile (meaning that we can click on your name in the comment box to access it), then please add it to your comment.***

The winner will be selected by a raffle, meaning that if there are 100 coments, we'll randomly draw a number between 1 and 100, and the commenter that corresponds with that number is the winner.

The contest will run through Wednesday, April 13th, and the winner will be announced on Thursday, April 14th.

Please feel free to share this contest with all the octofiends you know. I truly look forward to all your cephalo-links - the more, the merrier! Have fun and good luck!
http://www.totallyfreestuff.com/linkin.asp?ID=40899