All articles tagged with #octopus
Scientists at Stanford have developed a synthetic skin that mimics octopus camouflage by changing texture and color independently, using water-responsive polymers and optical layers, with potential applications in soft robotics and adaptive displays.
Scientists study the complex and flexible movements of octopus arms in the wild to inspire the design of advanced robotic arms capable of delicate and precise tasks, highlighting the octopus's remarkable intelligence and adaptability as models for technological innovation.
New research shows octopuses are highly skilled multitaskers, capable of using any of their eight arms to perform complex movements simultaneously, which could inform robotics and neuroscience studies.
This study investigates how octopus arms facilitate complex behaviors in natural environments, revealing high flexibility, diverse arm actions, and localized deformations that support their ecological adaptability and inspire soft robotics. It highlights the hierarchical organization of behaviors, arm actions, and deformations, demonstrating that octopus arms can perform nearly all actions and deformations across all arms, with some task-specific partitioning, especially between anterior and posterior arms, in various shallow-water habitats.
Researchers at Florida Atlantic University have analyzed octopus arm movements to create a detailed visual dictionary, breaking down their complex motions into basic components to better understand how these animals use their flexible, muscular arms for various behaviors.
Scientists captured a video of a bright orange octopus drifting at over 1,000 meters deep, using its color for camouflage in the dark ocean, likely as a survival strategy, during the 2023 Octopus Odyssey expedition.
A Maori octopus named Priscilla was observed hunting and successfully consuming a banjo shark in Australian waters, showcasing the impressive hunting skills and intelligence of this large Southern Hemisphere species.
A 2024 expedition to the Nazca Ridge in the South Pacific captured rare footage of deep-sea creatures, including the first live recording of a 'Casper octopus' at 4,443 meters depth, revealing new insights into abyssal marine life.
A study by biologists Sofie C. Sonner and Kirt L. Onthank reveals that the rapid color-changing ability of octopuses is energetically demanding, akin to a 23-minute jog for humans. This process involves specialized skin cells called chromatophores, which require significant oxygen consumption. The high metabolic cost may explain certain octopus behaviors, such as hiding in dens to conserve energy. The research highlights the exceptional energetic demands of cephalopod color change, suggesting it is one of the most costly forms of color change in the animal kingdom.
In a groundbreaking discovery, a coconut octopus was filmed using its syphon to shoot stones at fish, a behavior never before documented. This footage, part of a Netflix documentary on marine life and plastic pollution, shows the octopus using its syphon as a projectile launcher while hiding in a clamshell. The team observed this behavior over three weeks, capturing the octopus loading and firing sandy debris at encroaching fish, a remarkable example of octopus intelligence and adaptability.
A coconut octopus has been filmed using its siphon to throw stones at fish, marking the first recorded instance of this behavior. The footage, captured during a documentary on plastic pollution in Southeast Asia, shows the octopus using its siphon to launch projectiles at predators, a behavior previously undocumented. Researchers are studying this unique defense mechanism to understand its purpose and effectiveness. The discovery is featured in the Netflix series "Our Oceans," highlighting the intelligence and adaptability of marine life.
This week's episode of CBC Radio's Quirks & Quarks explores various scientific topics, including the energy-intensive process of octopus camouflage, the surprising correlation between dog brain size and behavior, the role of dark energy in the emergence of life, the evolutionary origins of kissing, and the potential of the brain's waste removal system in preventing neurological diseases. Studies suggest that synchronized electrical waves during sleep and gamma frequency stimulation could help clear brain waste, potentially addressing disorders like Alzheimer's.
In a groundbreaking discovery, a coconut octopus was filmed using its siphon to shoot stones at predatory fish, a behavior never before recorded. This footage, captured for Netflix's series "Our Oceans," shows the octopus using its siphon as a projectile weapon to deter predators, a novel behavior that is now being studied for further understanding. The series, narrated by Barack Obama, highlights this unique defensive tactic, showcasing the octopus's ingenuity in its natural habitat.
Octopuses are renowned for their exceptional camouflage abilities, but new research reveals that this skill comes with a significant metabolic cost. Biologists Sofie Sonner and Kirt Onthank found that the energy required for an octopus to change color using its chromatophore system is nearly as high as its entire resting metabolic rate. This high energy demand may explain why octopuses often hide in dens or adopt nocturnal habits to conserve energy. The study highlights the energetic expense of active camouflage in the animal kingdom.
A viral photograph claiming to show a giant octopus washed up on an Indonesian beach is fake and was generated by artificial intelligence. The image, which first appeared on an Instagram account known for AI-generated content, has no authentic source or news coverage.