The ancient Hawaiian creation myth posits that the present cosmos is only the last in a series, having arisen from the wreck of a previous universe. In this telling, the octopus is the lone survivor of that previous universe – an alien creature from another time. Octopus are, in reality, incredibly bizarre and fascinating animals. Highly intelligent, extraordinarily flexible and amazingly complex, they serve as a  stark reminder to how truly different the underwater world is from our own. The tentacles pictured here belong to a Giant Pacific Octopus currently residing in the Seattle Aquarium.