What is the difference between an octopus and a squid? Kuya Kim answers

Netizens were curious after a vlogger uploaded a video of tentacles of an octopus attached firmly on his arm.

According to Christeo Bermido, he was walking along the beach in Bicol when he saw an octopus.

“Sinubukan kong kunin with my bare hands,” he said. “Hindi ko siya nahuli. Pero, naiwan yung dalawa niyang tentacles sa kamay ko. Parang kina-crump niya yung skin mo eh tapos hinihigop niya kaya masakit.”

But have you ever wondered how an octopus differs from a squid?

According to Kuya Kim’s report on “24 Oras,” Thursday, octopus and squids are both cephalopods with several arms. The octopus do not have tentacles that are filled with suckers and can regenerate.

Tentacles have suckers only at the tip, while octopus arms have suckers all over them.

Also, octopus arms can grow again. This is called regeneration.

According to experts, the arms of octopuses, like the ones stuck to the forearm of Christeo, are able to feel stimulus an hour after they are severed.

Each of their arms has a cluster of nerve cells that can control its movement as if it had eight small brains aside from the one big central brain.

“Once it feels danger it would release one or two of its arm, because it can regenerate it back, to distract it (the predator) from pursuing the full animal,” Marine biologist Mylene Sadagnot said.

To remove the octopus arm, Christeo just pulled it from his skin.

“Pinilit ko na lang siyang tanggalin. Nagkaroon ako ng mga bruises, sugat na maliliit na bilog bilog sa braso,” he said.

The public is warned against picking up sea creatures. — Carby Basina/BAP, GMA Integrated News