Wired
Why Each Octopus Arm Has a Mind of Its Own
Monday, August 10, 2026
An octopus's arms contain approximately two-thirds of its neurons and operate independently from its central brain. This distributed nervous system allows each arm to function autonomously, including the specialized arm used for reproduction.
Original reporting: https://www.wired.com/story/octopus-arms-distributed-intelligence-nine-brains/