There is no need to enumerate again the many reasons that make the octopus one of this publication’s favorite animals and one of the most intelligent on the planet. But suffice it to mention one that until recently we understood imperfectly: in certain circumstances, it was known that some specimens were capable of grabbing objects and throwing them, sometimes against other octopuses. Today we know something more about such fascinating behavior.
Anti-harassment. It is revealed by a study (pre-print) published by Peter Godfrey-Smith and other researchers specializing in animal behavior, in bioRxiv. Octopuses consciously throw handfuls of dirt or empty shells at their fellow humans. Specifically, and after studying a colony of animals in Australia for more than five years, Godfrey-Smith points out the females as the specimens most prone to the practice. They usually use it when a male harasses them.
Background. The group began investigating in 2015 a small ecosystem deep off the Sydney coast of particular interest to local octopuses (Octopus tetricus). They recorded them in its depths and studied their throwing behavior for years. The practice was striking from the outset, as Godfrey-Smith would admit at the time, though unknown. Did the octopuses throw objects randomly or were there intention in behavior?
The performance. The researchers kept recording and analyzing the octopuses until they found their answer: the practice was conscious and intentional. In 2016, for example, they observed a female throwing handfuls of sand or shells at up to ten consecutive times at a male who was stalking her. Got it right five times. It is females who are most likely to engage in this behavior, often against males. They tend to throw dirt although they are not always right.
Thousand and one ways. There are other clues that indicate a certain intentionality. Octopuses often excavate and remove soil to create artificial dens or to find food. When they engage in this practice, they usually use their front tentacles, not when they throw objects at others in a defensive or intimidating way. Some specimens have appeared to throw shells into the void as a “release”, especially a male who was rejected by a female. In other words, the practice has a social function and not merely an instrumental one. Has emotion.
The ‘throws’ use the animal’s siphon to propel material held in the arms.
This drawing is by @NearBirdStudios.
Observations made at Octopolis, Australia.
Comments and feedback are welcome, especially from people who know about other kinds of nonhuman projectile use. [2/3] pic.twitter.com/BRddcQtOMX– Peter Godfrey-Smith (@pgodfreysmith) August 27, 2021
Nothing normal. It goes without saying that this kind of intentional shedding is not common among animals. Yes among humans and among chimpanzees, more similar to us, but not in such strange species, almost aliens, like octopus. It happens that there is nothing normal about this incredible animal: from their multiple intelligence to their ability to solve complex problems, through their possible ability to dream or our inability to raise them on farms, they are special critters. And today they have taught us something new. Self-defense.