Forget Shark Week what we really need is Octopus Week

It’s Shark Week, that dubious annual event devoted to those toothy predators of the deep.

But if the Discovery Channel really wanted to focus on a scary-smart, adaptable, tricky sea creature, they’d be better off going with the octopus.

This underwater mollusk has been getting more attention in recent years with high-profile prison (er, aquarium) breaks and amateur videos of it strolling along the sea floor — or on land.

Not convinced? Here are some other True Facts About the Octopus to wow you, and possibly freak you out a bit (especially the bit about tearing off its arm to intimidate its enemies).

In a new book, “The Soul of an Octopus,” author Sy Montgomery explores the complexity and emotions of the octopus.

More importantly, she covers this question: In a shark-vs.-octopus matchup, who would win?

“Octopuses are really smart about getting out of their tanks. Aquariums work really hard to make octopus-proof lids. They’ve been known to free themselves, get in an adjacent tank and eat everybody in that tank. At the Seattle Aquarium they had octopuses in a tank with sharks. They were worried about whether the octopus would be safe around the sharks. Then, the sharks started turning up dead — not eaten. Killed. Clearly, the octopus was worried about the sharks, too, and preemptively killed them! They got it on video, so there is no doubt about who done it.”

Here are some of the other things octopuses can do (and yes, it’s octopuses, not octopi — a good fact to know when addressing your future eight-legged masters). Don’t say you weren’t warned — and maybe lay off the tapas.

They can jump out of the water to pursue prey on land

Just look at this video shot in Australia — one unfortunate crab thought it would get away by leaving the water. Nice try.

They can get out of a tank with no lid on it

As workers at the Seattle Aquarium discovered when their Giant Octopus tried to make a break for it.

It bears repeating: They will attack a shark — and win

Need we say more?

They can disguise themselves to look like a plant on the ocean floor

Even marine biologists are surprised when they appear as if out of nowhere.

They can walk around on two tentacles ...

... and carry their own houses.

They can escape a fishing boat through a teeny-tiny opening

And drift down to the ocean floor to plot their sweet revenge.

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