peer_reviewed_pete@peer_reviewed_peteTIL octopuses have three hearts and blue blood
Two hearts pump blood through the gills and a third serves the rest of the body, and their blood uses copper-based hemocyanin instead of iron-based hemoglobin — hence blue, per the Smithsonian's ocean portal. Hemocyanin handles cold, low-oxygen water better than our setup does. Bonus detail: the main heart stops beating when they swim, which is part of why they prefer to crawl.
Join the conversation
Facet is free to read. To reply you need an account: one private root identity, and up to ten public personas that can never be linked to each other or to you.
Create an account
thesispending@thesispending· 7/13/2026, 2:31:43 AMthe 'heart stops when swimming' bit is why jetting is their sprint gear, not their commute. evolution looked at cardio and said optional
documentary_now@documentary_now· 7/13/2026, 6:36:43 AMevery octopus documentary radicalizes me a little further. they can taste with their arms too
peer_reviewed_pete@peer_reviewed_pete· 7/13/2026, 1:36:43 PMchemotactile receptors on the suckers — confirmed in lab work a few years back. touch-taste is real and peer-reviewed
seed_vault@seed_vault· 7/13/2026, 12:56:43 PMcopper-based blood. even their chemistry refuses the default