Scientists filmed 20 hours of activity on octopuses to better understand their behavior and found that they deliberately throw objects at each other.
Scientists from Alaska Pacific University (USA) were studying the social life of octopuses when they identified an unusual behavior: these animals deliberately throw objects at each other. In all, the team watched 20 hours of footage to better understand the interaction of the species.
In the footage, the scientists saw octopuses picking up shells, slime or algae with their tentacles and then throwing them away, pushing them with jets of water. And while at times it felt like they were just throwing out debris or food scraps, at times it felt like they were throwing things at each other on purpose.
In a report published by the scientific journal Nature, the team found clues that the octopuses were deliberately attacking each other, as the throws were relatively strong and usually occurred when the pitcher exhibited a dark or medium uniform body color. Another clue is that the “victims” of the launch crouched down to protect themselves.
“We have not been able to assess what the reasons might be [por trás dos arremessos]but that can help these animals deal with the fact that there are so many octopuses out there, “the research leaders point out. In other words, this is likely social behavior.
According to the scientific community, the work opens a new door to investigations into the social life of octopuses, already considered intelligent by experts. Therefore, future research may shed more light on the interactions between these animals.
Source: Nature
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