Title: octopus intelligence distributed nervous system two thirds neurons arms source at DuckDuckGo

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## [Why Each Octopus Arm Has a Mind of Its Own | WIRED](https://duckduckgo.com/l/?uddg=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wired.com%2Fstory%2Foctopus%2Darms%2Ddistributed%2Dintelligence%2Dnine%2Dbrains%2F&rut=fe54b49e4875e37f924b67f491e3ebdef834b8642acfaada3af66ea428ec6ebc)

[![Image 1](https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/ip3/www.wired.com.ico)](https://duckduckgo.com/l/?uddg=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wired.com%2Fstory%2Foctopus%2Darms%2Ddistributed%2Dintelligence%2Dnine%2Dbrains%2F&rut=fe54b49e4875e37f924b67f491e3ebdef834b8642acfaada3af66ea428ec6ebc)[www.wired.com/story/octopus-arms-distributed-intelligence-nine-brains/](https://duckduckgo.com/l/?uddg=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wired.com%2Fstory%2Foctopus%2Darms%2Ddistributed%2Dintelligence%2Dnine%2Dbrains%2F&rut=fe54b49e4875e37f924b67f491e3ebdef834b8642acfaada3af66ea428ec6ebc) 2026-08-08T19:48:31.0000000

[**Two-thirds** of an octopus's **neurons** are in its arms—each operating independently—including the one it uses to have sex.](https://duckduckgo.com/l/?uddg=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wired.com%2Fstory%2Foctopus%2Darms%2Ddistributed%2Dintelligence%2Dnine%2Dbrains%2F&rut=fe54b49e4875e37f924b67f491e3ebdef834b8642acfaada3af66ea428ec6ebc)

## [Neuroanatomy & the Distributed Nervous System — The Octopus Mind](https://duckduckgo.com/l/?uddg=https%3A%2F%2Foctopuscognition.org%2Fsections%2Fneuroanatomy%2Dthe%2Ddistributed%2Dnervous%2Dsystem%2F&rut=db372d748ed408d889f0f226f256cd202c5950649589faa49d36b25d85e0435c)

[![Image 2](https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/ip3/octopuscognition.org.ico)](https://duckduckgo.com/l/?uddg=https%3A%2F%2Foctopuscognition.org%2Fsections%2Fneuroanatomy%2Dthe%2Ddistributed%2Dnervous%2Dsystem%2F&rut=db372d748ed408d889f0f226f256cd202c5950649589faa49d36b25d85e0435c)[octopuscognition.org/sections/neuroanatomy-the-distributed-nervous-system/](https://duckduckgo.com/l/?uddg=https%3A%2F%2Foctopuscognition.org%2Fsections%2Fneuroanatomy%2Dthe%2Ddistributed%2Dnervous%2Dsystem%2F&rut=db372d748ed408d889f0f226f256cd202c5950649589faa49d36b25d85e0435c)

[**Two-thirds** of an octopus's **neurons** are in its **arms**, not its brain — the **arms** can taste-by-touch, decide, and react locally in under ≈100 ms without consulting the central brain.](https://duckduckgo.com/l/?uddg=https%3A%2F%2Foctopuscognition.org%2Fsections%2Fneuroanatomy%2Dthe%2Ddistributed%2Dnervous%2Dsystem%2F&rut=db372d748ed408d889f0f226f256cd202c5950649589faa49d36b25d85e0435c)

## [This Octopus's Brain Is Distributed Across Its Arms](https://duckduckgo.com/l/?uddg=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.animalsaroundtheglobe.com%2Fthis%2Doctopuss%2Dbrain%2Dis%2Ddistributed%2Dacross%2Dits%2Darms%2D1%2D317468%2F&rut=aa5462e98d01fd6fd162406bf6265d3d5023ff408e345b17351813ded6158d31)

[![Image 3](https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/ip3/www.animalsaroundtheglobe.com.ico)](https://duckduckgo.com/l/?uddg=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.animalsaroundtheglobe.com%2Fthis%2Doctopuss%2Dbrain%2Dis%2Ddistributed%2Dacross%2Dits%2Darms%2D1%2D317468%2F&rut=aa5462e98d01fd6fd162406bf6265d3d5023ff408e345b17351813ded6158d31)[www.animalsaroundtheglobe.com/this-octopuss-brain-is-distributed-across-its-arms-1-317468/](https://duckduckgo.com/l/?uddg=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.animalsaroundtheglobe.com%2Fthis%2Doctopuss%2Dbrain%2Dis%2Ddistributed%2Dacross%2Dits%2Darms%2D1%2D317468%2F&rut=aa5462e98d01fd6fd162406bf6265d3d5023ff408e345b17351813ded6158d31) 2025-04-16T00:00:00.0000000

[Unlike virtually any other complex animal on Earth, the **octopus** possesses a decentralized **nervous****system** where approximately **two-thirds** of its **neurons** reside not in its central brain but **distributed** throughout its eight **arms**.](https://duckduckgo.com/l/?uddg=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.animalsaroundtheglobe.com%2Fthis%2Doctopuss%2Dbrain%2Dis%2Ddistributed%2Dacross%2Dits%2Darms%2D1%2D317468%2F&rut=aa5462e98d01fd6fd162406bf6265d3d5023ff408e345b17351813ded6158d31)

## [Nine Brains Are Better Than One: An Octopus' Nervous System](https://duckduckgo.com/l/?uddg=https%3A%2F%2Fsites.nd.edu%2Fbiomechanics%2Din%2Dthe%2Dwild%2F2021%2F04%2F07%2Fnine%2Dbrains%2Dare%2Dbetter%2Dthan%2Done%2Dan%2Doctopus%2Dnervous%2Dsystem%2F&rut=9db149a1bd3af76120f5f361d14e7732ed36ffcbe4f565344a46574fc18e90d3)

[![Image 4](https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/ip3/sites.nd.edu.ico)](https://duckduckgo.com/l/?uddg=https%3A%2F%2Fsites.nd.edu%2Fbiomechanics%2Din%2Dthe%2Dwild%2F2021%2F04%2F07%2Fnine%2Dbrains%2Dare%2Dbetter%2Dthan%2Done%2Dan%2Doctopus%2Dnervous%2Dsystem%2F&rut=9db149a1bd3af76120f5f361d14e7732ed36ffcbe4f565344a46574fc18e90d3)[sites.nd.edu/biomechanics-in-the-wild/2021/04/07/nine-brains-are-better-than-one-an-octopus-nervous-system/](https://duckduckgo.com/l/?uddg=https%3A%2F%2Fsites.nd.edu%2Fbiomechanics%2Din%2Dthe%2Dwild%2F2021%2F04%2F07%2Fnine%2Dbrains%2Dare%2Dbetter%2Dthan%2Done%2Dan%2Doctopus%2Dnervous%2Dsystem%2F&rut=9db149a1bd3af76120f5f361d14e7732ed36ffcbe4f565344a46574fc18e90d3)

[For an **octopus**, though, this process is much more complicated. Independent Thinkers Each **arm** of an **octopus** is able to control itself semi-independently from the central brain. An **octopus** has about 500 million **neurons** in its body, **two-thirds** of which are **distributed** amongst its limbs. This means that there are about 40 million **neurons** in each ...](https://duckduckgo.com/l/?uddg=https%3A%2F%2Fsites.nd.edu%2Fbiomechanics%2Din%2Dthe%2Dwild%2F2021%2F04%2F07%2Fnine%2Dbrains%2Dare%2Dbetter%2Dthan%2Done%2Dan%2Doctopus%2Dnervous%2Dsystem%2F&rut=9db149a1bd3af76120f5f361d14e7732ed36ffcbe4f565344a46574fc18e90d3)

## [Octopus Intelligence: Alien Minds Reshaping AI & Robotics](https://duckduckgo.com/l/?uddg=https%3A%2F%2Fnature.sciencearray.com%2Foctopus%2Dintelligence%2Ddistributed%2Dcognition%2Dai%2Drobotics&rut=33f54116e2e0ad23e3373a42bc71450459842d86c0d47f3f024d51d516b211d7)

[![Image 5](https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/ip3/nature.sciencearray.com.ico)](https://duckduckgo.com/l/?uddg=https%3A%2F%2Fnature.sciencearray.com%2Foctopus%2Dintelligence%2Ddistributed%2Dcognition%2Dai%2Drobotics&rut=33f54116e2e0ad23e3373a42bc71450459842d86c0d47f3f024d51d516b211d7)[nature.sciencearray.com/octopus-intelligence-distributed-cognition-ai-robotics](https://duckduckgo.com/l/?uddg=https%3A%2F%2Fnature.sciencearray.com%2Foctopus%2Dintelligence%2Ddistributed%2Dcognition%2Dai%2Drobotics&rut=33f54116e2e0ad23e3373a42bc71450459842d86c0d47f3f024d51d516b211d7) 2025-09-24T00:00:00.0000000

[TL;DR: Octopuses possess 500 million **neurons****distributed** across their bodies - **two-thirds** in their **arms** rather than their brain - creating a radically decentralized **intelligence** that challenges everything we thought we knew about how minds work. These eight-armed aliens demonstrate tool use, problem-solving, and observational learning comparable to mammals, yet achieve it through a **nervous** ...](https://duckduckgo.com/l/?uddg=https%3A%2F%2Fnature.sciencearray.com%2Foctopus%2Dintelligence%2Ddistributed%2Dcognition%2Dai%2Drobotics&rut=33f54116e2e0ad23e3373a42bc71450459842d86c0d47f3f024d51d516b211d7)

## [Octopus Cognition: Intelligence, Brain & Behavior — The Octopus Mind](https://duckduckgo.com/l/?uddg=https%3A%2F%2Foctopuscognition.org%2F&rut=49b11f41a30e390e75e02fc138de95e07bf6ccb4e63a36d89baecf461676998a)

[![Image 6](https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/ip3/octopuscognition.org.ico)](https://duckduckgo.com/l/?uddg=https%3A%2F%2Foctopuscognition.org%2F&rut=49b11f41a30e390e75e02fc138de95e07bf6ccb4e63a36d89baecf461676998a)[octopuscognition.org](https://duckduckgo.com/l/?uddg=https%3A%2F%2Foctopuscognition.org%2F&rut=49b11f41a30e390e75e02fc138de95e07bf6ccb4e63a36d89baecf461676998a)

[An **octopus** carries roughly 500 million **neurons**, but only about a **third** sit in the central brain; the other **two-thirds** are **distributed** through the eight **arms**, which perform semi-autonomous motor control—reaching, tasting, and manipulating with local circuitry.](https://duckduckgo.com/l/?uddg=https%3A%2F%2Foctopuscognition.org%2F&rut=49b11f41a30e390e75e02fc138de95e07bf6ccb4e63a36d89baecf461676998a)

## [Octopus Arms Have Minds of Their Own - Psychology Today](https://duckduckgo.com/l/?uddg=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.psychologytoday.com%2Fus%2Fblog%2Fanimal%2Dminds%2F201907%2Foctopus%2Darms%2Dhave%2Dminds%2Dtheir%2Down&rut=90303f97ccbcb4d83ce8cbfa9de0d78510dc2110e1d9602e578db55e02ef7dff)

[![Image 7](https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/ip3/www.psychologytoday.com.ico)](https://duckduckgo.com/l/?uddg=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.psychologytoday.com%2Fus%2Fblog%2Fanimal%2Dminds%2F201907%2Foctopus%2Darms%2Dhave%2Dminds%2Dtheir%2Down&rut=90303f97ccbcb4d83ce8cbfa9de0d78510dc2110e1d9602e578db55e02ef7dff)[www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/animal-minds/201907/octopus-arms-have-minds-their-own](https://duckduckgo.com/l/?uddg=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.psychologytoday.com%2Fus%2Fblog%2Fanimal%2Dminds%2F201907%2Foctopus%2Darms%2Dhave%2Dminds%2Dtheir%2Down&rut=90303f97ccbcb4d83ce8cbfa9de0d78510dc2110e1d9602e578db55e02ef7dff)

[While vertebrates possess a highly centralized **nervous****system**, octopuses instead evolved a **distributed****nervous****system** with multiple clusters of **neurons** called ganglia arranged in a network ...](https://duckduckgo.com/l/?uddg=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.psychologytoday.com%2Fus%2Fblog%2Fanimal%2Dminds%2F201907%2Foctopus%2Darms%2Dhave%2Dminds%2Dtheir%2Down&rut=90303f97ccbcb4d83ce8cbfa9de0d78510dc2110e1d9602e578db55e02ef7dff)

## [The Surprising Intelligence of Octopuses Explained](https://duckduckgo.com/l/?uddg=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.animalsaroundtheglobe.com%2Fthe%2Dsurprising%2Dintelligence%2Dof%2Doctopuses%2Dexplained%2D7%2D333161%2F&rut=65b8fde63169cb55daa02a30df8836c7d0c9df542426b6c3e20370f1fd5c6f05)

[![Image 8](https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/ip3/www.animalsaroundtheglobe.com.ico)](https://duckduckgo.com/l/?uddg=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.animalsaroundtheglobe.com%2Fthe%2Dsurprising%2Dintelligence%2Dof%2Doctopuses%2Dexplained%2D7%2D333161%2F&rut=65b8fde63169cb55daa02a30df8836c7d0c9df542426b6c3e20370f1fd5c6f05)[www.animalsaroundtheglobe.com/the-surprising-intelligence-of-octopuses-explained-7-333161/](https://duckduckgo.com/l/?uddg=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.animalsaroundtheglobe.com%2Fthe%2Dsurprising%2Dintelligence%2Dof%2Doctopuses%2Dexplained%2D7%2D333161%2F&rut=65b8fde63169cb55daa02a30df8836c7d0c9df542426b6c3e20370f1fd5c6f05) 2026-07-26T00:00:00.0000000

[Their central brain contains approximately 180 million **neurons**, but what's truly extraordinary is that **two-thirds** of their **neurons** are **distributed** throughout their eight **arms**, creating a decentralized **nervous****system** unlike anything found in vertebrates.](https://duckduckgo.com/l/?uddg=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.animalsaroundtheglobe.com%2Fthe%2Dsurprising%2Dintelligence%2Dof%2Doctopuses%2Dexplained%2D7%2D333161%2F&rut=65b8fde63169cb55daa02a30df8836c7d0c9df542426b6c3e20370f1fd5c6f05)

## [Octopus arms have segmented nervous systems to power extraordinary ...](https://duckduckgo.com/l/?uddg=https%3A%2F%2Fcns.uchicago.edu%2Fnews%2Devents%2Foctopus%2Darms%2Dhave%2Dsegmented%2Dnervous%2Dsystems%2Dpower%2Dextraordinary%2Dmovements&rut=0cd55eeccfa88ab98e606de990d3b04693f0c83d2a16674a7555ef993a64512e)

[![Image 9](https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/ip3/cns.uchicago.edu.ico)](https://duckduckgo.com/l/?uddg=https%3A%2F%2Fcns.uchicago.edu%2Fnews%2Devents%2Foctopus%2Darms%2Dhave%2Dsegmented%2Dnervous%2Dsystems%2Dpower%2Dextraordinary%2Dmovements&rut=0cd55eeccfa88ab98e606de990d3b04693f0c83d2a16674a7555ef993a64512e)[cns.uchicago.edu/news-events/octopus-arms-have-segmented-nervous-systems-power-extraordinary-movements](https://duckduckgo.com/l/?uddg=https%3A%2F%2Fcns.uchicago.edu%2Fnews%2Devents%2Foctopus%2Darms%2Dhave%2Dsegmented%2Dnervous%2Dsystems%2Dpower%2Dextraordinary%2Dmovements&rut=0cd55eeccfa88ab98e606de990d3b04693f0c83d2a16674a7555ef993a64512e) 2025-01-21T00:00:00.0000000

[The study, " Neuronal segmentation in cephalopod **arms**," was published January 15, 2025, in Nature Communications. **Octopus****arm****nervous****system** Each **octopus****arm** has a massive **nervous****system**, with more **neurons** combined across the eight **arms** than in the animal's brain.](https://duckduckgo.com/l/?uddg=https%3A%2F%2Fcns.uchicago.edu%2Fnews%2Devents%2Foctopus%2Darms%2Dhave%2Dsegmented%2Dnervous%2Dsystems%2Dpower%2Dextraordinary%2Dmovements&rut=0cd55eeccfa88ab98e606de990d3b04693f0c83d2a16674a7555ef993a64512e)

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