Manji

 

I learned something new last week. Octopuses don’t have tentacles; they have arms. What’s the difference? Tentacles tend to be longer, and they have suckers only on the clubbed ends. Octopus arms are stronger, shorter, and have suckers along their entire length. Tentacles generally come in pairs, and are used primarily for feeding. Some cephalopods, like squids and cuttlefish, have eight arms and two tentacles. A nautilus can have up to 90 tentacles. The paper nautilus – or argonaut – is actually an octopus. The female of the species produces a thin, papery “shell” after mating. She lays her eggs inside, squeezes her body in, and fills it with air from the surface. Then she seals the entrance and bobs about in her bubble until the eggs hatch. And there’s one other thing: the plural of the word “octopus” is “octopuses,” not “octopi.” Using the “I” suffix for a plural noun is only for Latin words, like “cactus.” “Octopus” is Greek.