Instructions for Utilizing Eight Tentacles: Octopuses commonly navigate and investigate using their forward appendages
Researchers have delved into the fascinating world of wild octopuses, studying a series of videos that captured these elusive creatures performing various tasks. The results of this extensive study, conducted between 2007 and 2015 in the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, were published in Scientific Reports on Thursday.
The study, led by Alicia N. Smith and her team, aimed to examine precise limb actions in the wild, marking it as the first large-scale study of its kind. Filming octopuses is no easy feat, requiring patience and perseverance over many years.
The researchers found that each arm of an octopus is capable of performing all tasks, a testament to the creature's remarkable redundancy. Octopuses do not have a dominant arm, a fact that adds to their unique behaviour.
The front arms of octopuses were used about 60% of the time during the study, with the forward arms primarily used for exploring. In contrast, the rear arms were used more frequently for stilting and rolling. The back arms are mostly used for walking, a crucial aspect of their mobility.
Suckers on octopus limbs are complex sensory organs, equivalent to the human nose, lips, and tongue. Each arm contains between 100 and 200 suckers, which are not only used for mobility but also for sensing the environment.
If an arm of an octopus is bitten off, it has multiple backups, another fascinating aspect of their biology. Octopuses spend most of their time hidden in dens, making their behaviours in the wild even more intriguing to study.
The study provides valuable insights into the behaviours and adaptability of wild octopuses, shedding light on these mysterious creatures that have long captivated our imagination.
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