First Documented Use of Tools Seen in veined octopuses

Boston (DbTechNo) – It appears that octopuses maybe smarter than we think, as they have been filmed picking up coconut shells and carrying them off to use for shelter.

This is a startling discovery, and according to researcher Dr Julian Finn from Australia’s Museum Victoria, it is the first example of tool use in octopuses.

The footage was taken between the years of 1999 and 2008 off the coasts of Northern Sulawesi and Bali in Indonesia.

Throughout this study period, the researchers logged more than 500 hours of diving, to follow up to 20 different octopuses.

On 4 separate occasions, the 8-armed creatures were filmed performing the act, making it not just a once in a lifetime fluke.

The videos show the veined octopuses selecting their preferred coconut shell, emptying it out, and carrying it away under their bodies.

The creatures would carry the shells for up to 20 miles, and were also filmed assembling them.

The study can be found in the journal Current Biology.

• Share
• Tweet
• "&title=""">