Purple Octopus

Scottish Country Dance Instruction

1- 8 All circle 8H round and back
9-12 1M+3M change places RH, 1M+3L and 3M+1L change places LH (1s and 3s now opposite partners)
13-16 1s and 3s ½ turn partner RH, pull back RSh and dance out to opposite places
17-24 2M+4M repeat 9-16
25-28 Men dance LH across once round, Men face anticlockwise, Ladies clockwise
29-32 All change places RH with person facing (1 bar), then LH with next person (1 bar) to meet partner, all turn partner RH back into square set. 2341

(MINICRIB. Dance crib compiled by Charles Upton, Deeside Caledonian Society, and his successors)

Dance Information

With approximately 300 species, it is part of the Cephalopoda class, along with squids, cuttlefish, and nautiloids. Possessing bilateral symmetry, two eyes, and a beaked mouth at the center of its limbs, the octopus can change its body shape and navigate through small openings. As it swims, it trails its eight appendages and utilizes a siphon for both respiration and movement by expelling water jets. Octopuses showcase a sophisticated nervous system, excellent vision, and rank among the most intelligent and behaviorally diverse invertebrates.

Octopuses inhabit diverse ocean regions, ranging from coral reefs and pelagic waters to the seabed, with some residing in intertidal zones and others in abyssal depths. Most species exhibit rapid growth, early maturation, and a short lifespan. Mating typically involves the male employing a specialized arm to transfer sperm directly into the female's mantle cavity. Post-mating, the male undergoes senescence and dies, while the female deposits fertilized eggs in a den, caring for them until hatching, after which she also perishes.

Defensive strategies against predators include ink expulsion, camouflage, threat displays, rapid water-jetting, hiding, and even deception. While all octopuses possess venom, only the blue-ringed octopuses are known for their lethality to humans.

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