Researchers have observed for the first time how cephalopods intentionally throw lumps of sand, pieces
A siphon is a tubular organ found inaquatic mollusks from the class of gastropods, bivalves or cephalopods. This is a tube that connects the mantle cavity to the outside, and it can eject water at high speed.
Scientists capture unusual behavior on videogrim octopuses (Octopus tetricus) in Jervis Bay on the south coast of New South Wales in Australia. They published their findings in the journal PLOS One. “In some cases, the projectile hit another octopus, a fish, or a camera,” the scientists write.
Image Credit: Godfrey-Smith et al./PLOS ONE/Illustrations by Rebecca Gelernter
After examining the 24-hour video recorded onstationary underwater cameras in 2015 and 2016, the authors of the study found 102 cases of about 10 octopuses picking up and throwing various objects. Often they flew quite far from the thrower.
Garbage was thrown by both males (34%) and females (66%).In 32% of cases of throwing stones and shells, the octopuses simply cleaned the lair. But in 17 cases, mollusks threw garbage on other octopuses. Sometimes it was like a fight, as you can see in the video. The behavior of people was very reminiscent of a fight between people.
This is the first time scientists have observed an octopus fighting.
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