Henry the Hexapus

[Canuck_Buck]

CNN) -- English marine experts have laid their hands on an octopus that's missing two of its own: a six-limbed creature that they have dubbed 'hexapus.'




Henry the 'hexapus' photographed by staff at Blackpool's Sea Life Centre, in northwest England.
[/align][/align] [/align][/align][/align]Ordinarily, octopodes have eight arms and legs. And should they lose one or more in an accident, they can grow the limbs back.
Which is what makes 'Henry' -- as staffers at Blackpool Sea Life Centre in northwest England have dubbed their find -- so unique.
His missing limbs stem from a birth defect.
"If you look closer between the legs, there's webbing that attaches each of the arms together," John Filmer of the Sea Life Centre told CNN Tuesday. "You'd assume if he'd lost one of his legs in an accident, there would be space for an arm to grow back.
"But there's no space for two extra legs to grow back. That's just how he is."

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/03/04/octopus.uk/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

[8D]so polluting the ocean does no harm ?

[ipscshooter]

ORIGINAL: Canuck_Buck

[8D]so polluting the ocean does no harm ?

I'm certainly not in favor of polluting the oceans, but... There's nothing in the story to suggest that pollution of the oceans caused this birth defect, or, for that matter, that Henry had ever even been in the ocean.

'Henry' was picked up from a local zoo along with seven other octopodes for a new exhibit at the center. No one noticed his missing legs until he attached himself to the inside of his glass tank.

He was acquired from another zoo, so for all we know he could have been born in captivity.

[burniegoeasily]

polution is not the only mutagen. Not good, but not the only one. Mutations are very common. The fuel for natural selection.

[Aught Six]

Freaks happen...