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Description
Probably most of you, when talking about most intelligent species of the animal kingdom, you'd rather think about things like chimps, gorillas or dolphins, but how many of you actually know that one of the most impressively smart species is the octopus?
On the occasion of this drawing, I wanted to share some curious facts about octopuses

- obviously, the first thing to say is that they have, along with cuttlefish, the largest brain-to-body mass ratios of all invertebrates.
- they have an amazing eye vision and some scientists belive they have photoreceptors even inside their skin that contribute to coloration changes as a method of camouflation.
- octopuses have an excellent sense of touch and their suction cups are equipped with chemoreceptors, so they taste what they touch and this also prevents them from getting tangled or injuring themselves.
- the mating process is really strange, beginning with the courtship that involves impressive colors and dances. The actual oddity consists in the male's reproductive leg (or arm, whatever xD) that is being detached and given to the female to fertilize its eggs, after which the male dies (or may live some weeks or months) and the female carries the eggs and dies too shortly after they hatch. For this reason they have a very short lifespan... suicidal sexuality xD
- their impressive brain structure that makes use of 168 kinds of protocadherins (humans have 58) and their independently evolved mammal-like intelligence have brought scientists to think they may be "extraterestrials"
- their blood is blue thanks to hemocyanin, a blood-borne protein containing copper atoms and it seems like this ensures some advantages to many invertebrates.

These are the main things that impressed me about them, you can read more if you want I'll show you some sites that I've read.
Here you can read about studies related to the otherworldliness of the octopus: qz.com/1281064/a-controversial…
Their blue blood: animals.howstuffworks.com/mari…
Their complex behavior: www.mnn.com/earth-matters/anim…
or: www.bbc.com/earth/story/201605…

And here is a very interesting documentary about octopuses: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZU_2Cz…

So if you're that kind of person who wouldn't eat dolphin meat because it's a highly intelligent being, then I guess you should also reconsider eating octopuses. I'm not saying to not eat them, but you should definitely be aware of the things around you (and also there are some atrocious practices like beating them alive that you should avoid). So if you're fishing and you mistakenly catch one of these little guys, be kind and release it without hurting it

Paper size: A3
Pancils: HB, 2B, 4B, 8B, progresso, charcoals (plus graphite fixative)
If you're interested in buying this drawing, send me a note so we can negotiate

Description
Probably most of you, when talking about most intelligent species of the animal kingdom, you'd rather think about things like chimps, gorillas or dolphins, but how many of you actually know that one of the most impressively smart species is the octopus?
On the occasion of this drawing, I wanted to share some curious facts about octopuses

- obviously, the first thing to say is that they have, along with cuttlefish, the largest brain-to-body mass ratios of all invertebrates.
- they have an amazing eye vision and some scientists belive they have photoreceptors even inside their skin that contribute to coloration changes as a method of camouflation.
- octopuses have an excellent sense of touch and their suction cups are equipped with chemoreceptors, so they taste what they touch and this also prevents them from getting tangled or injuring themselves.
- the mating process is really strange, beginning with the courtship that involves impressive colors and dances. The actual oddity consists in the male's reproductive leg (or arm, whatever xD) that is being detached and given to the female to fertilize its eggs, after which the male dies (or may live some weeks or months) and the female carries the eggs and dies too shortly after they hatch. For this reason they have a very short lifespan... suicidal sexuality xD
- their impressive brain structure that makes use of 168 kinds of protocadherins (humans have 58) and their independently evolved mammal-like intelligence have brought scientists to think they may be "extraterestrials"
- their blood is blue thanks to hemocyanin, a blood-borne protein containing copper atoms and it seems like this ensures some advantages to many invertebrates.

These are the main things that impressed me about them, you can read more if you want I'll show you some sites that I've read.
Here you can read about studies related to the otherworldliness of the octopus: qz.com/1281064/a-controversial…
Their blue blood: animals.howstuffworks.com/mari…
Their complex behavior: www.mnn.com/earth-matters/anim…
or: www.bbc.com/earth/story/201605…

And here is a very interesting documentary about octopuses: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZU_2Cz…

So if you're that kind of person who wouldn't eat dolphin meat because it's a highly intelligent being, then I guess you should also reconsider eating octopuses. I'm not saying to not eat them, but you should definitely be aware of the things around you (and also there are some atrocious practices like beating them alive that you should avoid). So if you're fishing and you mistakenly catch one of these little guys, be kind and release it without hurting it

Paper size: A3
Pancils: HB, 2B, 4B, 8B, progresso, charcoals (plus graphite fixative)
If you're interested in buying this drawing, send me a note so we can negotiate