An octopus can grow new limbs. This remarkable ability is known as regeneration, and they are masters at it.

If an octopus loses an arm to a predator or an accident, it can regrow a complete and fully functional replacement.

How it Works:

When an arm is lost, the octopus doesn’t just form a stump or scar tissue. Instead, a complex biological process kicks off at the wound site. Stem-cell-like cells accumulate and begin to rebuild the arm from the point of injury outwards. And unlike some animals that regrow imperfect replacements, an octopus regenerates a limb that is a perfect copy of the one it lost. The new arm will have the same strength, sensitivity, and dexterity as the original. It is not a weaker or less capable limb; it’s a complete restoration. This ability is a key survival mechanism. An octopus can sacrifice an arm to a predator to escape an attack. The detached arm may even continue to wriggle and change color, distracting the predator while the octopus makes its getaway. The loss is only temporary, as it can simply grow a new one over the following months.