Scientists have slowly been learning that there’s “something up” with the octopus. In aquariums around the world, fish curiously go missing from tanks with a trail of water leading back to the octopus tank. The cephalopods have been observed in the lab making complex decisions and using tools to solve problems.
But not until this video have we seen an octopus improvising a tool (in this case a coconut shell) and then carry it away to use again. This is also striking footage because its in the creature’s natural habitat. From the article:
Octopuses often use foreign objects as shelter. But the scientists found the veined octopus going a step further by preparing the shells, carrying them long distances and reassembling them as shelter elsewhere.
This footage is scientifically important… and it’s fun to watch.
More from the article:
The findings are significant, in that they reveal just how capable the creatures are of complex behavior, said Simon Robson, associate professor of tropical biology at James Cook University in Townsville.
“Octopuses have always stood out as appearing to be particularly intelligent invertebrates,” Robson said. “They have a fairly well-developed sense of vision and they have a fairly intelligent brain. So I think it shows the behavioral capabilities that these organisms have.”
Our understanding of the octopus and its brain is very limited but it is increasingly observed that this invertebrate, a closer relative to the clam than the dolphin, has something special that warrants more research. Perhaps, the octopus would have had a decent shot of being the dominant intelligent species of Earth had the apes not come down from their trees.
