Can octopuses hear?

[shannen74]

Can octopuses hear?

If so, in what range?

I have an octo that I talk to all the time, but I have no idea if he can actually hear me or not.

Thanks in advance,
Shannen

 

[Nancy]

No, they can't hear the way we do, but they can feel some vibrations - for instance, Carol (corw314) used to tap three times on the tank to signal her bimac and she got a response.

So by all means continue talking to your octopus - it means you're there at the tank trying to interact and that has a long term positive effect.

Nancy

 

[shannen74]

Just curious if voice pitch made any difference, since I'm usually making silly high-pitched noises. I know they are sensitive to vibration, we have hardwood floors, and he gets very still when he feels us walking on the floor.

Thanks for the info.

 

[Nancy]

That would correspond to what others have reported - can't hear your voice, but can feel the vibrations on the floor.

Nancy