Octopuses have two legs and six arms

To most of us it has always seemed obvious that an octopus has eight arms.

But experts have now revealed that this assumption is wrong - as two of their long tentacle-like limbs are in fact legs.

A study by scientists at Sea Life centres across Europe found that the invertebrates move across the sea bed using their two rearmost limbs, leaving the other six free for the important business of feeding.



Researchers who observed the creatures in action found they push off with the "legs" and then employ the other tentacles to pump themselves along.

The study, the largest of its type carried out, was designed to show if octopuses favoured one side or the other.

But it found that octopuses are ambidextrous, though many seem to favour their third arm from the front to eat with.