The red octopus ( Octopus rubescens ), found along the Pacific coast, grows to about 20 inches (51 centimeters). The common octopus ( Octopus vulgaris ), found along the east coast of the U.S., is much smaller, growing up to about three feet (0.9 meters). It has an arm span that can reach 14 feet (four meters). The giant Pacific octopus ( Enteroctopus dofleini ), found off the Pacific coast of the United States from California to Alaska, is the largest octopus species in the world. There is tremendous range in the size of octopus species found in U.S. In some areas, they have to worry about eels and dolphins. They are believed to be quite intelligent-capable of learning, using tools, and remembering locations. Some of the most common predators include large fish, birds, and some types of whales. Their skin contains cells called chromatophores that allow the octopus to change color and pattern. They are about 90 percent muscle, and because they lack bones, they can fit through very small spaces. The main natural predators of octopuses are sharks, seals, whales and eels. Octopuses are solitary creatures excellent at camouflaging and concealing themselves. The large, almost three-foot-long predator is short-lived, surviving just one year and breeding only once. Rather than iron-based blood, their blood is copper-based, which is more efficient at transporting oxygen at low temperatures and makes their blood blue in color. The day octopus roams the reefs in tropical waters from Hawaii to East Africa. Two of the hearts work exclusively to move blood to the gills, while the third pumps blood through the rest of the body. Octopuses have a hard beak, which they use to pierce the shells of crustacean prey. The sack-like body is perched atop the head, which has two complex and sensitive eyes, while the mouth is on the underside. The undersides of the arms are covered with suction cups that are very sensitive to touch and taste. South Korea, Japan, Spain, Italy, and Greece all include octopuses in their cuisine. They use their arms to "walk" on seafloor. It is considered a delicacy, but some cultures’ cuisine frequently includes them in regular dishes. A ring of eight equally-long arms surround the head. Cephalopoda means “head foot” in Greek, and in this class of organisms, the head and feet are merged. The octopus is a marine mollusk and a member of the class Cephalopoda, more commonly called cephalopods.
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