Blue-lined Octopus (Hapalochlaena Fasciata)
The cardiovascular system of an octopus is critical in order for it to survive. An octopus needs to maintain an extremely high blood pressure to be able to basic things such as to swim or to hunt. Octopuses have three hearts. The main heart is called the systematic heart, while two smaller hearts pump blood to and from the gills. The two smaller hearts pump blood to the gills, where waste is exchanged for oxygen. The smaller hearts then bring the newly oxygenated blood to the systematic heart. From the systematic heart, the oxygenated blood is pumped to the rest of the organs in the octopus' body. Another interesting thing in the circulatory system of an octopus is that the blood does not contain hemoglobin, causing an octopus' blood to be blue. |