Octopus: The Ocean's Intelligent Invertebrate Download Free (EPUB, PDF)
The visually arresting and often misunderstood octopus has long captured popular imagination. With an alien appearance and an uncanny intellect, this exceptional sea creature has inspired fear in famous lore and legends—from the giant octopus attack in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea to Ursula the sea witch in The Little Mermaid. Yet its true nature is more wondrous still. After decades of research, the authors reveal a sensitive, curious, and playful animal with remarkable intelligence, an ability to defend itself with camouflage and jet propulsion, an intricate nervous system, and advanced problem-solving abilities. In this beautifully photographed book, three leading marine biologists bring readers face to face with these amazingly complex animals that have fascinated scientists for decades. From the molluscan ancestry of today’s octopus to its ingenious anatomy, amazing mating and predatory behaviors, and other-worldly relatives, the authors take readers through the astounding life cycle, uncovering the details of distinctive octopus personalities. With personal narratives, underwater research, stunning closeup photography, and thoughtful guidance for keeping octopuses in captivity, Octopus is the first comprehensive natural history of this smart denizen of the sea.
Hardcover: 240 pages
Publisher: Timber Press; First American Edition edition (May 21, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1604690674
ISBN-13: 978-1604690675
Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 0.9 x 9.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #201,625 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #69 in Books > Science & Math > Biological Sciences > Biology > Marine Biology #74 in Books > Science & Math > Nature & Ecology > Oceans & Seas > Oceanography #97 in Books > Science & Math > Biological Sciences > Animals > Marine Life
For (hopefully) obvious reasons, here are eight ways octopuses — and this book — rock:1) Octopuses (and not, as I learned, “octopi”) are fascinating, smart and have distinct personalities; they are able to solve problems and learn new strategies (though, like some other unnamed animals [hint: humans], they still have behavioral blind spots that no amount of new data inputs can override).2) They are masters of camouflage, able to blend in with any number of environmental backgrounds and even move patterns across the surface of their bodies like fleshy LED banners.3) As an extension of #2, they can do all this even though their eyes are color blind, which makes me wonder if they have some kind of crazy, eyeless physical sight in their skin/appendages.4) Even though this is related to squid and not octopuses, some may have a visual language on their skin to share information with fellow squid; in other words, they’re “living books.”5) The authors are clearly experts with tons of shared experience with, and empathy for, octopuses, and the book is sprinkled with meaningful personal anecdotes.6) Octopuses are mostly solitary, have boring sex lives that always end in senescence and they die young. The males basically fumble around with their arms, squirt some sperm and then get sick and die … or, more usually, are eaten by sharks and seals.7) Octopus mothers are awesomely attentive to their eggs, carefully hanging up strands of thousands and thousands of eggs they carefully tending to them until just about the time they hatch. Then get sick and die. Or are eaten. And all the little babies whoosh out into the ocean where most are eaten. But a few live.8) The whole ink thing is insane.
Octopus: The Ocean's Intelligent Invertebrate Nautical: Ocean Coloring Books in all Departments; Adult Coloring Books Ocean Life in al; Coloring Books for Adults Ocean Animals in al; Coloring ... in al; Coloring Books for Adults Disney in al Springtime by the Seashore Lighthouses, Whales, Waves, Seagulls Colouring Book: Ocean Coloring Books in al; Coloring Books Ocean in al; Coloring Books ... in al; Coloring books Ocean for Kids in al; Biomimetic Neural Learning for Intelligent Robots: Intelligent Systems, Cognitive Robotics, and Neuroscience (Lecture Notes in Computer Science) The Not-So-Intelligent Designer: Why Evolution Explains the Human Body and Intelligent Design Does Not Catch the Light for Intelligent Design: A Playbook for Understanding Creation and Intelligent Design The Enlarged and Updated Second Edition of Milkweed Monarchs and More: A Field Guide to the Invertebrate Community in the Milkweed Patch Spineless Wonders: Strange Tales from the Invertebrate World Invertebrate Medicine Creative Oceans Coloring Book: Adult Coloring Book of Stress Relief Sea Animal Patterns and Designs (Ocean Coloring Book, Lost Ocean, Stress Relief Coloring Book, Anti Stress Coloring Book) (Volume 1) Sea Shell Coloring Book: An Adult Coloring Book of 40 Zentangle Sea Shell Designs for Ocean, Nautical, Underwater and Seaside Enthusiasts (Ocean Coloring Books) (Volume 5) Reef Fishes of the Indian Ocean: A Pictorial Guide to the Common Reef Fishes of the Indian Ocean (Pacific Marine Fishes) The Ocean of Churn: How the Indian Ocean Shaped Human History Mid-Century Modern: Interiors, Furniture, Design Details (Conran Octopus Interiors) Octopus's Garden How to Hide an Octopus and Other Sea Creatures (Reading Railroad) October the Octopus: A Huggable Concept Book About the Months of the Year The Octopus Scientists (Scientists in the Field Series) The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness Soul of An Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness
