@sinsofhera This cessation occurs because the muscle contractions involved in swimming restrict blood flow, making it energetically taxing for the systemic heart to function during such activity
@sinsofhera Octopuses possess three hearts—two branchial hearts and one systemic heart. The systemic heart is responsible for pumping oxygenated blood throughout the body. Interestingly, this heart temporarily stops beating when the octopus swims