The intelligent octopus

The intelligent octopus

Many creatures have special significance for humans but none is perhaps more intriguing than the octopus. Octopuses, often seen as examples of (17) ________, have a powerful hold on scientific imagination. There are many species of octopus and most of them are solitary, highly adaptable marine animals that are (18) ________ by their flexible bodies. They tend to blend in with the colours and even the surface patterns of their (19) ________, which makes them hard to spot. They have a sharp sense of (20) ________ and have sensitive arms that can detect tiny movements that are (21) ________ by the less sensitive human hand, such as tiny (22) ________ from small creatures in the water. Many octopuses also have special cells across their skin, which allow them to change colour. Their bodies contain no rigid bones and are remarkably flexible, so narrow openings can admit them despite looking impossibly small to us in (23) ________ with their bodies. This remarkable flexibility lets them escape from narrow containers with ease, adding to our view of the octopus as being (24) ________.