By exploreodisha.in 
When we think of a brain, we usually imagine a single control center inside an animal’s head. But nature doesn’t always follow the rules we expect. Some animals have evolved with multiple “brains” or distributed nerve centers that help them perform complex tasks—sometimes independently in their limbs or other body parts. These incredible creatures challenge our understanding of intelligence and coordination in the animal kingdom.
Here are five amazing animals that have more than one brain, with some even having brains in their arms or legs!
1. Octopus – The Eight-Armed Genius
Perhaps the most famous example of an animal with multiple brains is the octopus. While it has a central brain located between its eyes, each of its eight arms has its own mini-brain—technically known as a ganglion.
These ganglia contain hundreds of millions of neurons and allow the arms to function semi-independently. An octopus can explore, manipulate objects, and even solve puzzles using one or more arms without needing direct control from its central brain. Scientists have even observed octopus arms reacting to stimuli after being separated from the body—evidence of their incredible decentralized intelligence.
This setup helps the octopus become a master of multitasking and stealth. While the main brain focuses on a task, individual arms can explore crevices, hunt prey, or defend the body—all at the same time.
2. Starfish – A Brain in Every Arm
Despite having no centralized brain, starfish are surprisingly complex creatures. Instead of one brain, a starfish has a nerve ring around its mouth that connects to a radial nerve in each arm. This decentralized nervous system allows each arm to act semi-independently.
Amazingly, starfish can coordinate their movements without any central decision-making. If one arm finds food, it can signal the rest of the body to move toward it. In some species, even if an arm is severed, it can still respond to stimuli and sometimes even regenerate into a new starfish!
3. Squid – Masters of Motion with Extra Nerve Centers
Like their cephalopod cousin, the octopus, squids also possess multiple ganglia in addition to their central brain. Squids use these nerve clusters to control their tentacles and arms with extreme precision—which is especially important for hunting and defense.
Each arm and tentacle has a network of neurons that allows it to react rapidly to changes in the environment, grab prey, or manipulate objects. Their nervous system is incredibly advanced for an invertebrate, enabling squids to be fast, agile, and intelligent creatures of the sea.
4. Earthworm – A Brain and Segmental Ganglia
Earthworms may seem simple, but their nervous system is quite fascinating. They have a small brain called the cerebral ganglion, but what’s more interesting is that each segment of their body contains a pair of ganglia.
These ganglia allow the worm to control its body segments independently. That’s why an earthworm can keep moving even if a portion of its body is cut off. This segmented system helps the worm navigate underground, respond to touch, and coordinate its muscular contractions for movement.
5. Leech – Coordinated Through Segmental “Brains”
Another segmented animal, the leech, operates with a system of multiple ganglia, each functioning like a tiny brain. With up to 32 segmental ganglia, leeches can control different parts of their body with remarkable precision.
This distributed nervous system helps leeches coordinate their sucker-like movements and muscular contractions for crawling and swimming. Each segment can respond to the environment almost autonomously, making their movement both efficient and flexible.
Conclusion
These five animals show us that intelligence and control in the animal world are far more complex and varied than we often assume. Having multiple brains or decentralized nerve systems gives these creatures extraordinary abilities—from independent arm movement in octopuses to whole-body coordination in starfish and worms.
Nature’s diversity continues to surprise and inspire, reminding us that there’s more than one way to be smart.