Octopus Specialists

[OctopusV]

I just was wondering if there is any proof that certain species of Octopus excell in certain types of thinking, I've searched for info, and haven't found anything that points to that, but maybe one of you more experienced members may know. Please post both knowledge and theories, OV!

 

[o.vulgaris]

I don't think that there is anything online, scratch that--there is anything online, try out a search engine.

 

[OctopusV]

Ok, thanks, I'll go try that out!
EDIT: Couldn't find anything! Everything I found was too general and didn't help at all! Maybe or another specialist on this site could lend a little insght.

 

[Nancy]

There's a lot of research left to be done on octopus behavior. However, some of our members may have some experiences or insight - you've posted this over the Thanksgiving holiday, so be patient, not all our members are online at the moment.

I haven't personally come across anything on this subject and my personal experience is with only one species.

Nancy

 

[OctopusV]

Okay! Thanks Nancy, and just out of curiosity, which species was it?

 

[Nancy]

Hi OctopusV,

I have Ollie, a female O.bimaculoides (bimac). She's been with me since last March.

If you look back through the Journals and Photos, you'll find lots of Ollie pics.

Nancy

 

[Steve O'Shea]

Re: Octopus Specialists

I just was wondering if there is any proof that certain species of Octopus excell in certain types of thinking, I've searched for info, and haven't found anything that points to that, but maybe one of you more experienced members may know. Please post both knowledge and theories, OV!

That's a really good question!!! I'm not familiar with any comparative work having been done either. This would be a fantastic subject for someone to research - focus to date really has been on who's the largest, longest or heaviest, or with research concentrating on differentiating species - but just who the most 'intelligent octopus' is .... well, there's a documentary in that!
O

 

[OctopusV]

Thanks, Prof. O'Shea, I've wanted to speak with you ever scince I saw you in one of Clyde F. E. Roper's televised expeditions. If I'm lucky, someday there will be an experiment to find this out, with all the bigwigs of the teuthology feild participating, but alas, it is still just an idea.

 

[Steve O'Shea]

..... not too sure who that Prof fella is. You know that you don't have to wait to undertake experimentation like this; as Tonmo community such an experiment could be undertaken (although there would be many different tank environments/few controls).

Determine the species, come up with a series of simple tasks, and see what species does what, in how long, and whether any particular octopus species is a savant.

You'd all have to introduce some controls (it would best be done at one laboratory, but for now why not experiment across the Tonmo community). You could iron ouyt a few problems this way, before undertaking a larger-scale controlled experiment.
Cheers
O

 

[Nancy]

I think it would be worthwhile to enlist the Tonmo (octopus-keeping) community for suich experiments.

Even the various reports of what our octopuses are doing could be valuable - look at Ink, living on long after egg laying. Or both Ollie and Ink eating during this period, while a lot of the literature says that octis don't eat after they lay eggs.

We mostly have bimacs, with a few members of other species in our community.

Nancy

 

[OctopusV]

It may work Nancy, asking Tonmo members to have their octos run tests they make at home, but each test would be unique, and as Dr. O'Shea put it, there would be few controls, nevertheless, I'm open to any and all suggestions as to how to pull this off.

V here.

 

[NickA5582]

Here's a site that has octos running a series of tests.
http://www.jimbolouislabs.com/visiting_the_nrcc4.htm
I've tried doing a test a month or two ago with Pudge by putting his food in different colored (one purple, two yellow) easter eggs, but he'd get bored and go back to his shell.

 

[OctopusV]

Thanks for the topic Nick! Too bad it only deals with O. Cyanea, and as for Pudge, I think you got stuck with the Garfield of octopuses

 

[OctopusV]

That's it! I was practically up all night thinking of this, credit goes to NickA5582, he came up with it, I just modified it, (Kinda like Mr. Edison). Here are instructions for a memory exam, please post the species of your octopus with the results, we'll try to get two of each species owned by "Tonmo-ers".


Memory Exam

1) Make sure your Octopus is watching you do this: Take two small containers, like Nick's easter eggs, each separate colors that have different tones, Octos are colorblind. (Make sure that they are opaque, so the octo can't see through them) Put food in one and water in the other. (Best to do that in the tank, underwater, so the octo can watch.)

2) Take the two containers out of the tank, and put them somewhere where the food will be fresh the next day (Or take the food out of the container without the octo watching and feed it to it then, and put new food in the next day)

3) The next day, when the Octo is at its hungriest, put the two containers in the tank, with each one containing their respective contents as the day before, time how long it takes for your Octo to find the right container, and record what he or she does exactly, in the utmost detail, and post it here along with the species, and possibly age, and whether or not it's laid eggs.


Happy testing!
OctopusV

 

[Colin]

you'll need to make sure that the octopus cant smell the food inside the case or it'll rely on that