How Many Hearts do you Have? Some people None But How Many Does The Octopus Have?

How many hearts does an octopus have?

Three divers looking at a Giant Pacific Octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini) in the Sea of Japan. (Image credit: Alexander Semenov via Getty)

Octopuses are iconic for their eight arms. But how many hearts does an octopushave?

It turns out that an octopus has three hearts, Kirt Onthank(opens in new tab), an octopus biologist at Walla Walla University in Washington, told Live Science. The same holds true for their closest relatives, squid and cuttlefish.

The octopuses' largest heart, the systemic heart, is located in the middle of the mollusk's body. It pumps oxygenated blood around the body, but not to the gills. "It is the largest and most muscular of the three hearts," Onthank said.

(Alexander Semenov via Getty Images)

     Octopuses are iconic for their eight arms.