One seriously irritated octopus

[Hugh]

Have you seen this clip of the pissed off octopus?

I'm impressed that it also went for him again later.

Australia: Geologist beaten up by 'angriest octopus' on beach

In a video, the octopus can be seen in shallow waters lashing out at geologist Lance Karlson.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Pyan]

I saw this, and was impressed with the welts that it left on the chaps skin.

Later, when he went into the water alone, the octopus found him again and struck him.

I wonder if it recognised him for the second attack, or just thought 'There's another trespasser on my patch!' ?

 

[Foxbat]

A while back, I saw a documentary about an octopus kept in a tank in the home of a scientist and the relationship it forged with the scientist’s daughter. It appeared that, not only are Octopus highly intelligent but that this one recognised the daughter.

It made me wonder if spite or deliberate cruelty can be a byproduct of intelligence. There have been filmed accounts of Killer Whales (another species regarded as intelligent) toying with seals before killing them. And then we only have to look in the mirror to see how we behave ourselves (although I dispute the assumption that all humans are intelligent).

 

[Pyan]

Are octopuses aliens from outer space that were brought to Earth by meteors?

And no, it's not an April Fool's story...

 

[HareBrain]

It made me wonder if spite or deliberate cruelty can be a byproduct of intelligence. There have been filmed accounts of Killer Whales (another species regarded as intelligent) toying with seals before killing them.

Last year, I watched a seal toying with a grebe until it drowned. It looked like deliberate cruelty (and was pretty distressing to watch), but I think it was "just" playing, which is something intelligent animals do. As we know from having been or from observing children, playfulness without having developed empathy leads to a lot of nasty stuff.

 

[Hugh]

I haven’t heard of this behaviour before (not that that says much) but this sudden attack with whiplash tentacles looks seriously scary. I wonder if it’s a new development in octopus interactions with other species. Unlikely, I know, but.....

 

[Foxbat]

I’ve found the documentary I was on about. It’s called Octopus In My House. Unfortunately it’s no longer available on the BBC but I found it here.
It’s the relationship the daughter has with the octopus that really struck me.

 

[Montero]

Yes I saw that too and have completely sworn off eating octopus. (Very rarely did so anyway, but couldn't now.)

 

[CTRandall]

In Other Minds, Peter Godfrey-Smith describes instances in labs where octopi clearly learned to recognize specific people. I put a review of the book on Chrons.

They are remarkably intelligent creatures, with their development probably limited mostly by their short life-span (only a couple of years). There are even some indications of social interactions within groups, though that is also limited and controversial.