Coconut Carrying Octopus...?

[Chengi]

Somewhere in Indonesia, a Veined Octopus was seen carrying coconut shells, later to be used as shelter.

Australian scientists were stunned by this unusually sophisticated behavior and believe it is the first evidence of an invertebrate using tools. Finn and Mark Norman of Museum Victoria filmed the octopus, Amphioctopus marginatus, selecting halved coconut shells from the sea floor, emptying them out, carrying them under their bodies, and assembling two shells together to make a spherical hiding spot up to 65 feet feet away from where the creature originally found the shells.

~Taken from article at http://news.discovery.com/animals/coconut-carrying-octopus.html

Discuss.

 

[Chromatian]

Octopus are one of the most sophisticated creatures in the water, so I don't find this very surprising.

It's nothing compared to what my Biology teacher once told me.

 

[nightmare cenz]

Octopus aren't the only animals that use "tools" to get food or something else but still, I'd be surprised if some scientists discover that Octopus can be intelligent, like dolphins.

 

[clairebun]

Uh, actually, octopi are fairly smart.

 

[nightmare cenz]

Uh, actually, octopi are fairly smart.

...Ok, that's new ..at least for me.

 

[luis90]

Octopus aren't the only animals that use "tools" to get food or something else but still, I'd be surprised if some scientists discover that Octopus can be intelligent, like dolphins.

Dolphins aren't that smart. They perform tricks because they are conditioned to do so, and the "large" size of their brain is mostly from glia, a substance that keeps heat so the neurons can do their job.

 

[Wombatwarlord777]

I think the best thing I've ever seen involving an octopus was one scrunching into an extremely tight tube, compressing and stretching its body in an unbelievable manner, until it forced itself into an open tank at the other end.

...Which of course has nothing to do with its intelligence. I'm a sucker for cheap thrills.

 

[Hyperknux]

Dolphins aren't that smart. They perform tricks because they are conditioned to do so, and the "large" size of their brain is mostly from glia, a substance that keeps heat so the neurons can do their job.

Actually, Dolphins are very clever animals. However, the reason why we don't know much of this is because of the conclusions about the nature & magnitude of their intelligence has not yet been reached. Do know the brain size also depends on the species of the Dolphin itself.

I knew this a while ago, it's pretty cool seeing certain animals now picking up on different ways of managing life as Evolution goes by. Learning new ways how to feed, hide, forage, etc.

 

[akirahedgehog]

We better keep a close eye on the octopi so they don't get too smart and revolt against us land dwellers.

 

[DrTapeworm]

WOAHHH NO

DID THAT COCONUT JUST FLIP ME OFF?!

in this case, it actually mimics the coconut. And runs on its tentacles when threatened

yes, this is the same species

 

[luis90]

Actually, Dolphins are very clever animals. However, the reason why we don't know much of this is because of the conclusions about the nature & magnitude of their intelligence has not yet been reached. Do know the brain size also depends on the species of the Dolphin itself.

I knew this a while ago, it's pretty cool seeing certain animals now picking up on different ways of managing life as Evolution goes by. Learning new ways how to feed, hide, forage, etc.

Forgive me, when I said they aren't "that smart", I should have said "Dolphins are indeed intelligent, but the degree to which they are is often exaggerated", as what I believe to be the case to the poster I originally quoted in the thread.

 

[Eblo]

I have actually read about this soon before this topic. It'd be scary if you were stuck on an island, tried to drink from a coconut, and an octopus jumped out and ran away.

 

[Sonnarkku]

Or they could be smarter than what they look.

Birds aren´t much of an inteligent animal, but there are some bird species who can speak human language, and african parrots can actually communicate with people if taught well, and it´s still just a bird, now imagine all the things the dolphin brain could have considering it´s an actually inteligent animal.

 

[Jacy]

Most birds don't know the meaning of the words they say, they only say them because they can.

But that is cool with the Octopi and cocnuts.

 

[luis90]

Or they could be smarter than what they look.

Birds aren´t much of an inteligent animal, but there are some bird species who can speak human language, and african parrots can actually communicate with people if taught well, and it´s still just a bird, now imagine all the things the dolphin brain could have considering it´s an actually inteligent animal.

Quote who you're speaking to. They don't actually speak, they just imitate sounds. Also, what you said about communicating is often the parrot remembering that certain sounds or actions are done to encourage the parrot to make a certain sound(Or the parrot makes the sound to initiate something).

 

[clairebun]

We better keep a close eye on the octopi so they don't get too smart and revolt against us land dwellers.

http://www.octopustruth.com/