Tool-Using Octopus

By: Aubrey Moulton

Maybe we should nickname it the Coconut Octopus. Okay, so it is not truly called that. It is the Indonesian Veined Octopus. And only this week scientists in Australia noticed a very distinctive behavior exhibited by this particular member of the Cephalopod class. It has long been recognized that octopuses are the smartest of the invertebrates. Taking cover in shells is not new for these creatures. Such behavior has been noted several times. But that situation occurs when the octopus is threatened and there is a shell at hand. Taking an item to use later is what makes this coconut gathering conduct curious.

The odd stepping unavoidably adopted to transport the ungainly item would seem to put the invertebrate in greater danger. Of course, octopuses are incredibly nimble. If attacked while carrying this half of a coconut shell, it could perhaps defend itself by fitting underneath and pulling the hard surface up for cover. It might require an equally cunning or stronger predator to get to the concealed octopus.

Scientists had no idea that such deliberate behavior was employed by invertebrates. And the sight of an octopus scurrying as far as 65 feet (or 20 meters) with the object in tow is impressive, judging from eyewitness accounts. Having this idea to cart off half a coconut to a predetermined location and then fetch another half to the same place to use as refuge is known as “tool use.” This creature of the ocean has learned how to use these discarded coconut halves as a hide-out. Thus, the garbage on the ocean floor is turned into tools for survival. Who knew?

So, with the recent excitement about these invertebrates, let’s assess our understanding of them. The octopus a part of the cephalopod class, making up approximately 33 percent of the members of this group. It is loosely related to clams and snails. The octopus is hunted by sperm whales, seals, fish, such as eels, and sea birds. They are by far the most intelligent in their biological family, the brain being composed of almost 500 million large neurons. For comparison, the human brain contains 100 billion smaller neurons. Octopuses are solitary. The life expectancy for a quick and healthy male octopus is just 3-5 years. The female does not live as long, since she goes into a period of fasting after she lays her eggs. She does not eat so that she can stay to protect the 2,000-3,000 eggs she has just deposited. By the time they hatch, the life-giving mother has just died of starvation. And do you know how many hearts an octopus has? If you said three, you are right. A lost arm will grow back. The suction cup-like parts of their arms contain something to help the octopus smell. Visualize sniffing something with your arm. Octopuses are quite amazing, really. But the coconut gatherer is certain to make you smile as you watch it toe-step with its prize while it scuttles across to its sandy home.

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