Octopuses are fascinating creatures with their eight arms and unique abilities. A recent study published in the open-access journal PLOS ONE reveals new behaviour in octopuses; Deliberately throwing debris such as silt and shells. Such behaviour has been observed for the first time and has surprised researchers.
The research took place in Jervis Bay, located in southeastern Australia, where a team of scientists from Australia and the United States used underwater cameras to capture the behavior of gloomy octopuses (Octopus tetricus) between 2015 and 2016. Jervis Bay is known for pristine white sandy beaches, penguins, marine mammals. This area provides a unique opportunity to study the interactions of octopuses beyond their mating behavior.
Over the course of several days, researchers analyzed 24 hours of underwater footage and identified 102 incidents of octopuses throwing debris. The research was challenging as individual identification was not always possible. Octopuses collect sediment from the sea floor or collect shells after feeding and then use a tube-shaped structure on their legs called a siphon.
Water can be expelled through the siphon. Siphons are notable for their eight arms and ability to propel various materials through the water. David Schell, a professor of marine biology at Alaska Pacific University, described the behavior as unusual: “Throwing objects like this is a rare animal behavior.
Such behavior does not seem normal, even for short distances underwater. This kind of behavior of octopuses is quite interesting. However, both male and female octopuses have been observed to throw up piles of garbage. About 66 percent of the debris is from female octopuses. Octopuses have the extraordinary ability to change the color of their skin.