Octopus (Octopi?) think and create - really

[ensho]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091215/ap_on_sc/as_australia_coconut_octopus


Aussie scientists find coconut-carrying octopus


Australian scientists have discovered an octopus in Indonesia that collects coconut shells for shelter — unusually sophisticated behavior that the researchers believe is the first evidence of tool use in an invertebrate animal.

The scientists filmed the veined octopus, Amphioctopus marginatus, selecting halved coconut shells from the sea floor, emptying them out, carrying them under their bodies up to 65 feet (20 meters), and assembling two shells together to make a spherical hiding spot.

-snip-

"I was gobsmacked," said Finn, a research biologist at the museum who specializes in cephalopods. "I mean, I've seen a lot of octopuses hiding in shells, but I've never seen one that grabs it up and jogs across the sea floor. I was trying hard not to laugh."

Octopuses often use foreign objects as shelter. But the scientists found the veined octopus going a step further by preparing the shells, carrying them long distances and reassembling them as shelter elsewhere.

That's an example of tool use, which has never been recorded in invertebrates before, Finn said.

-snip-

"It's another example where we can think about how similar humans are to the rest of the world," Robson said. "We are just a continuum of the entire planet."
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there is a pic of an assembled and occupied coconut home but I couldn't get it to copy

[earcandle]

1. They probably realize they cannot depend on us to keep them safe.

[Mojorabbit]

3. I love octopus stew

A childhood comfort food.

[AlienGirl]

2. "Octopuses" or if you're really geeky "octopodes."

And yeah, neat, huh?

Tucker

[ensho]

5. thanks for proper spelling and yes they are really neat beings

nt

[MineralMan]

4. Nothing new here. Here's a video of an octopus opening a

mason-type jar with a screw lid to get at a shrimp inside. Octopi are smart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocWF6d0nelY

[RaleighNCDUer]

11. Yup. This may be a new expresssion of tool use, but it is hardly the

first example of it. They can open jars, open cages, manipulate all kinds of things which are not natural - i.e., instinctual - to them.

[MineralMan]

12. I think there was a cousteau film of an octopus opening a

jar many years ago. That's where I first saw it. There are several on YouTube with people's aquarium octopus repeating the trick.

We used to catch them in tide pools in California, handle them for a while and release them. They were always interesting, and usually allowed handling without much distress.

[elehhhhna]

22. i find them in 3 -4 feet of water off 7 mile beach

in Cayman. The adults will chase around and show off their camo powers, changing color AND texture. the babies will let you handle them. the tiny suckers are pretty sucky, btw -- did you find it surprising how much grabbing power they have?

once you meet one, you'll never eat one.

[Subdivisions]

6. If the octupus had chosen a ripe coconut, he could have had

an occasional snack by taking a bite out of the wall.

[benld74]

7. What the heck is Gobsmacked? Is it messy, loud, noisy, confusing WHAT?

[Luminous Animal]

8. Astounded.

[The Backlash Cometh]

10. Your gob is your mouth.

Irish derivation?

[Arugula Latte]

9. I, for one, welcome our octopi overlords.

[jgraz]

16. Damn it. beat me to it.

[jgraz]

17. dup

[jgraz]

18. trip

I FAIL at using Teh Internets. :dunce:

[Arugula Latte]

20. You iz not az smart as teh octopusses

:P

[Crabby Appleton]

13. The picture

[chill_wind]

19. Dang! :-)

Cool story.

[SallyMander]

14. OMG cute!!!

K&R :D

[jgraz]

15. sigh

Not fast enough

[Beetwasher]

21. "I'd Like To Be, Under The Sea..."

n/t

[Crabby Appleton]

23. kick for the night shift

[KittyWampus]

24. smart octopus

[historian]

25. octopodai is the word you are looking for

finally i can use a bit of knowledge i have been nurturing for years. Now i have to get rid of hippopotomai.