The right or left eye. Octopuses have excellent vision.
The gill slit. Water is drawn in here by expansion of the mantle. It flows over the gills and is expelled through the siphon (not pictured).
Field Identification
- white stripe from eye to base of 2nd arm.
- paddle-shaped papillae.
- white spot between & below eyes.
- large size.
Head, containing eyes, brain, and mouth.
The mantle, which contains the internal organs.
Octopuses have 8 arms, numbered 1-4 on each side of the body. Thus the 1st arm on the right side is R1, the 2nd R2, etc. The arms bear many suckers and are used for locomotion, display, manipulation, and feeding.
On males, arm R3 is hectocotylized with a modified tip, called the ligula, that is used during mating. (The animal pictured here is a female, however.)
