Rare six-legged "hexapus" found

Until recently, there was only one recorded instance of a healthy six-legged octopus on record. This so-called "hexapus" is the result of a rare mutation which leaves the octopus with only six legs, but still fully functional.

When a family vacationing in Greece caught a six-legged octopus, they realized it was a strange creature, and snapped photographs of the unusual animal. But then, not knowing that it was only the second one known in existence, they killed it and took it to a nearby tavern to be cooked. The tavern owner refused, citing the animal's rarity, which was the tourists' first clue that they had something truly rare on their hands. (They cooked and ate it themselves.)

Image courtesy Flickr/Allen Elliotte