Animals with multiple brains, like octopuses and starfish, exist on the earth, having abilities that sound like alien. Their brains are not accidental adaptations; they are evolved to increase survival rate. Even though these brains are not identical to human brains, they play an essential role in assisting these animals to move around, defend themselves, hunt and survive in complicated environments.
Animals with Multiple Brains:
Here we discuss some of the most incredible animals that operate with multiple brains.
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Octopus
The octopus is a perfect example of an animal with several brain systems. While it has a central brain between its eyes. There are also multiple mini brains in his eight tentacles in the form of ganglia. They help each tentacle to move and manipulate objects without taking orders from the central brain. This multiple-brains system helps octopuses to increase memory, intelligence and problem-solving capacity so they can solve complex operations like navigating a maze or unlocking the door.
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Squids
Squids contain three brains: a primary brain that takes care of them and two secondary brains, also called optic lobes, that work specially for their eyes. These secondary brains help squids to process complex visual information capture prey and avoid predators.
Squids use 80% of their brain capacity to analyze visual information and are highly dependent on their vision. This capacity for fast response to environments is the result of their specialized brain anatomy.
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Starfish
Starfish are even more unique animals, as they do not have any central brain. Their nervous system has a nerve ring around their mouth and radial nerve nets branching into every arm. Each arm is capable of receiving information from its surroundings and can move independently. Starfish also have some special cells all over their body that help them sense light, touch, and chemicals, giving them information about their surroundings without a central brain.
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Cuttlefish
Cuttlefish are the cousins of octopuses and squids. Like their cousin, cuttlefish also possessed both a large central brain and well-evolved ganglia in their tentacles. This is a neutral arrangement that helps them to achieve advanced camouflage, instantly and continuously changing the color and texture of their body through pigment cells called chromatophores. Cuttlefish also possess large optic lobes that elaborate visual information, which helps them in communication and survival.
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Slugs
Slugs also contain 3 brains in their esophagus that control various components of their behavior. One brain helps with eating, a second regulates movements, and a third controls breathing and respiration. Slugs are capable of learning new patterns and saving information like human beings. This store of memories is what makes them distinct from other animals. They learn from their experiences and improve their ability to understand their surroundings.
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Snails
Snails, like slugs, contain more than one brain. They contain 6 brains. Snails have two groups of ganglia originally , which do different tasks like movements, breathing, and eating. Their brain structure also helps them to perform complex functions even though they are really small, as each brain plays a critical purpose in their life.
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Spiders
Spiders, especially giant spiders, contain a complicated nervous system in the shape of ganglia in their legs. This singular system helps them to respond rapidly to prey or threats. Their legs ganglia also play a crucial role in enhancing the accuracy of their movements so they can catch prey despite their size.
Many spiders use their legs in detecting vibrations in inthier webs or in their surroundings. This specialized nervous system marks spiders as first-rate predators and accomplished engineers of their silk structures.
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Bumblebees
Bumblebees also contain three brains. One controls their wings, the next manages their stinger, and the last one governs their antennae. This separation of the brain helps each section to work effectively, improving their survival. These brains also help them to remember patterns such as the position of flowers. The ability to identify and return to certain places helps them to collect nectar and pollen, which is crucial for their survival.
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Leeches
Leeches have a unique and complex brain system, as they don’t contain one brain but 32 ganglia, one per body segment. These ganglia help each segment to act semi-autonomously, directing movements and responding immediately to threats and food. Their exclusive nervous system also helps them to shrink, stretch and slip into small spaces easily.
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Cockroaches
Cockroaches possess two brains, one in their head and the other close to their abdomen. This structure helps them to continue moving when they lose their head due to the second brains, which control their movements. Cockroaches brain systems help them to move fast and remember all objects ,faces and places. Their brains contain twice as many synapses as human brains, which enable them to store and possess information.
