# Octopus: Batman of the animal kingdom **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 14, 2006, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-batman-of-the-animal-kingdom/368637 "2006-08-14T06:24:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2006, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-batman-of-the-animal-kingdom/368637/21 "2006-08-14T22:26:24Z")
The only thing I have to contribute to this thread is the fact that the plural of “octopus” is “octopodes.” ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2006, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-batman-of-the-animal-kingdom/368637/22 "2006-08-14T22:40:01Z")
[QUOTE=Skald the Rhymer] The only thing I have to contribute to this thread is the fact that the plural of “octopus” is “octopodes.” [/QUOTE] Oi! Yer too late! ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2006, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-batman-of-the-animal-kingdom/368637/23 "2006-08-14T23:37:19Z")
[QUOTE=kimera] I refuse to eat them because I love them so much!! I just wish they weren’t so tasty ☹ Octopi, I love you!! [/QUOTE] How you doin’? Those of you talking about how tasty an Octopus is, let me just sez that we got a pair of cement shoes for ya if you don’t shut your yap. Capiche? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2006, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-batman-of-the-animal-kingdom/368637/24 "2006-08-14T23:51:05Z")
[QUOTE=Case Sensitive] Allow me to point out, not for the first time, that the plural of octopus is _not_ octopi: the root is Greek, not Latin, so it’s octopoda, octopodes, or even octopods. Even octopuses is a perfectly legitimate construction; octopi is just plain wrong. And ignore the online Merriam-Webster on this one: it’s full of shit. [/QUOTE] We’ve had this conversation, I went to my 1899 Cyclopedia set and provided proof that Octopi is acceptable and has been for over 100 years. Jim ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-batman-of-the-animal-kingdom/368637/25 "2006-08-15T00:24:58Z")
An Exchange with Bricker: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=6775357&postcount=57](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=6775357&postcount=57) [QUOTE=What Exit?] [QUOTE=Bricker] Yes, they are. But how did that happen? It happened by people ignorantly using “octopi” until it became acceptable. The first guy to use “octopi” was a erstaz-erudite putz. But a whole slew of putzes followed him, and now they have enshrined their puztiness (use of this Yiddish/english comment done intentionally for irony). You you come along - not a putz - and have every right to use the word. True, you do – but only because you’re standing on the shoulders of puztes. So to speak. [/QUOTE] Can’t disagree with you. But it started a long time ago from what I can gather. I have a set of the Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia from 1900. It list Octopi as the only plural, Octopodous was another identical word to Octopus. As Latin was more commonly studied in the 1700’s & 1800’s, I will hazard to guess this is how it crept into use. Octopodous is now obsolete from what I can find. [/QUOTE] Jim ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-batman-of-the-animal-kingdom/368637/26 "2006-08-15T00:47:03Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] We’ve had this conversation, I went to my 1899 Cyclopedia set and provided proof that Octopi is acceptable and has been for over 100 years. [/QUOTE] Huh. Just because some dingbat didn’t know his Greek from his Latin roots one hundred years ago is no reason to perpetuate his error: indeed, “octopi” obscures the _meaning_ of the word in precisely the way that the correct “octopods”, or “eight feet” illuminates it. The “pi” of “octopi” simply doesn’t _mean_ anything other than an ill-formed guess at a plural. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-batman-of-the-animal-kingdom/368637/27 "2006-08-15T00:53:55Z")
[QUOTE=Case Sensitive] Huh. Just because some dingbat didn’t know his Greek from his Latin roots one hundred years ago is no reason to perpetuate his error: indeed, “octopi” obscures the _meaning_ of the word in precisely the way that the correct “octopods”, or “eight feet” illuminates it. The “pi” of “octopi” simply doesn’t _mean_ anything other than an ill-formed guess at a plural. [/QUOTE] Interesting, sounds like a new thread. **Proper Greek pluralization, should it trump over 100 years of common English usage?** Jim ---
**Author:** ![Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e56c9b/32.png) [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-batman-of-the-animal-kingdom/368637/28 "2006-08-15T01:29:23Z")
[QUOTE=Gangster Octopus] Capiche? [/QUOTE] Ceviche? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-batman-of-the-animal-kingdom/368637/29 "2006-08-15T01:42:39Z")
Hijack moved to this thread: [Proper Greek pluralization, should it trump over 100 years of common English usage?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=7680534#post7680534) ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-batman-of-the-animal-kingdom/368637/30 "2006-08-15T01:49:09Z")
The octopus is my favorite aquatic animal. If I could be reincarnated as anything it would be an octopus. They are the shit, man. People who posted to this thread about how yummy they are to eat… I know you think you’re hilarious, but you’re not. That is all. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-batman-of-the-animal-kingdom/368637/31 "2006-08-15T02:23:06Z")
Thing is, octopuses (-podes, -pi, whatever) only live a couple of years. Imagine what they could accomplish if they lived longer. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-batman-of-the-animal-kingdom/368637/32 "2006-08-15T03:20:57Z")
[QUOTE=spoke-] Thing is, octopuses (-podes, -pi, whatever) only live a couple of years. Imagine what they could accomplish if they lived longer. [/QUOTE] No, that’s just what they want you to think. The year or two is a sort of apprenticeship-cum-survival-test. Those which survive it, get the chance to go _deep_ and get involved with the **real** Cephalopod Conspiracy. :: shudder :: ---
**Author:** ![Tomcat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Tomcat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tomcat)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-batman-of-the-animal-kingdom/368637/33 "2006-08-15T07:04:26Z")
[QUOTE=Encinitas] Not only are octopi sneaky and cunning underwater, but there is also a [land based version](http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/) that delights in dropping out of trees and scaring the bejeebus out of you! [/QUOTE] BTW, that is a hoax, donchaknow? -Tcat ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-batman-of-the-animal-kingdom/368637/34 "2006-08-15T09:23:56Z")
My Dad says, one stewardess, two stewardii. And I heartily agree with the OP. As I understand it, the octopus has color-changing cells called chromatophores which are star-shaped, each arm containing a different pigment…red, yellow, blue, black, white IIRC. To change colors, the 'pus contracts muscles which squeeze the arms to mix pigment in the right proportion…without having to think about it! _How does it know?_ About chromatophores: > **[Chromatophore](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromatophore)** > > Chromatophores are cells that produce color, of which many types are pigment-containing cells, or groups of cells, found in a wide range of animals including amphibians, fish, reptiles, crustaceans and cephalopods. Mammals and birds, in contrast, have a class of cells called melanocytes for coloration. > Chromatophores are largely responsible for generating skin and eye colour in ectothermic animals and are generated in the neural crest during embryonic development. Mature chromatophores are group... I wonder if i could be genetically altered to have them? ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-batman-of-the-animal-kingdom/368637/35 "2006-08-15T10:56:16Z")
[QUOTE=Polycarp] The year or two is a sort of apprenticeship-cum-survival-test. Those which survive it, get the chance to go _deep_ and get involved with the **real** Cephalopod Conspiracy. [/QUOTE] Finally, someone else who gets it. I’ve been telling people they’re evil for years and years, but do you listen? FOOLS! You’ll all be devoured! ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-batman-of-the-animal-kingdom/368637/36 "2006-08-15T18:59:59Z")
Little known octopus fun-fact to amaze your friends: Octopodes are not true cephalopods. They are in fact most closely related to the pomegranate. It isn’t immediately obvious, however, until one mounts eight rhubarb stalks on toothpicks around the periphery of a pomegranate. Try it out in your local Safeway! ---
**Author:** ![Oy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bc8723/32.png) [@Oy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oy)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-batman-of-the-animal-kingdom/368637/37 "2006-08-15T21:28:15Z")
[QUOTE=Rubystreak] The octopus is my favorite aquatic animal. If I could be reincarnated as anything it would be an octopus. They are the shit, man. People who posted to this thread about how yummy they are to eat… I know you think you’re hilarious, but you’re not. That is all. [/QUOTE] Being an otter might not be bad either. Granted, they don’t have superpowers. But they sure seem to have fun! ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-batman-of-the-animal-kingdom/368637/38 "2006-08-15T23:38:05Z")
[QUOTE=Oy!] Being an otter might not be bad either. Granted, they don’t have superpowers. But they sure seem to have fun! [/QUOTE] They do seem to be fun. Some birds really look like they enjoy life too. But octopuses are so cool because they are cephalopods, so no bones, few limits on where they can go, and chromatophores, and brains. It’s all good, except they only live for 3-4 years. Imagine what they would do if they had 50 years of life! And 8 arms! It boggles the mind. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-batman-of-the-animal-kingdom/368637/39 "2006-08-15T23:55:08Z")
For those of us (OK, me) whose work firewall won’t permit us to dowload video content, would someone please give a brief synopsis of the octopus v. shark video linked above? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-batman-of-the-animal-kingdom/368637/40 "2006-08-15T23:57:47Z")
Octopus vs. shark. Octopus wins. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-batman-of-the-animal-kingdom/368637.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/octopus-batman-of-the-animal-kingdom/368637.md?page=3)