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blanket octopus
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blanket octopus

mollusk
Also known as: Tremoctopus
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Quick Summary

The blanket octopus is a type of mollusk belonging to the order Octopoda, commonly known as octopuses. These marine animals are characterized by their eight arms, complex eyes, and a saccular body. While most octopuses move by crawling, they can propel themselves backward by expelling water through a siphon.1

A notable characteristic of some cephalopods, including the blanket octopus, is sexual dimorphism where males and females differ significantly in appearance and size. The blanket octopus is known for its unique reproductive strategy where the male's arm is autotomized (self-amputated) and left within the female's mantle cavity during mating.2

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
2 Britannica Sources
  1. octopus
  2. cephalopod - Reproduction and life cycles

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