Scientists observe octopuses punching fish proving 2020 is tough all over
Shane McGlaun - Dec 22, 2020, 5:01am CST
No one likes a bully who punches for no reason. In the human world, we tend to avoid that type of person, and as it turns, the aquatic world also has its share of bullies. Scientists recently published a study where they observed octopuses punching fish. The most interesting part of the octopus’ aggressive behavior is that there appeared to be no other reason than spite in some cases.
Scientists call the fish-punching skills of the octopus “active displacement” of fish and say it typically occurs during collaborative hunting efforts. Fish and octopus often team to chase and trap prayed together. Perhaps the punching has to do with the octopus wanting to pray for itself.
A new paper published in the journal Ecology, the Ecological Society of America, has revealed that scrappy octopuses will punch fishes when hunting alongside them to gain access to prey. The research observed the behavior of octopuses during interspecific hunting events and discovered that they used their arms like fists to throw a punch at fish who might steal their food. Sometimes the octopuses were observed pulling punches even when there was not prey to be taken, which the researchers state represents one of three possibilities; that the octopuses reap future, as of yet unidentified, benefits from punching their coworkers; that they are defending themselves; or, quite simply, they re just spiteful jerks.
Octopuses may punch fish hunting partners out of spite
Updated / Tuesday, 22 Dec 2020
17:49
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The octopus has revealed itself to be something of a thug, according to a new study by marine biologists.
In a paper published by the Ecological Society of America, scientists laid out their findings from studying octopuses and fish that hunt together in the Red Sea.
The two sea animals are known to collaborate in hunting, making use of their differing morphology and hunting styles. However, octopuses have been observed hitting out at the fish, seemingly randomly.
Octopuses Like to Punch Fish, New Research Suggests
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An octopus punches a fish. (Gif: E. Sampaio et al., 2020/Gizmodo)
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Upsetting but strangely satisfying new research documents octopuses punching fish during collaborative feeding sessions. The octopuses primarily do it for practical reasons, but sometimes these underwater jabs seem to be purely spiteful.
We learned so many disturbing things this year, and we regretfully have to add another item to the list: Octopuses like to punch fish. As the authors speculate in their paper, published in Ecology, these punches are thrown to “prevent exploitation and ensure collaboration.” In some cases, however, the octopus-on-fish violence couldn’t be connected to anything in particula
Photo by Ann Antonova from Pexels
The octopus is one of the world’s most intelligent creatures. It can open jars, camouflage itself, and demonstrate many other signs of thinking.
Other times, octopuses will get what they want using cruder methods. Like punching a fish right in the face.
In a new study published in the journal
Ecology, researcher Eduardo Sampaio at the University of Lisbon in Portugal detailed a collaborative arrangement between octopuses and different species of fish, in which the fish and cephalopods hunt for food in pairs and therefore cover a wider search area.
Observing this dynamic in the Red Sea, researchers noted that octopuses establish control of the pairing by striking at their fish partners using an arm to get them to move to a preferred position, to avoid eating the prey, or to deter them from the search entirely. They referred to this as a “swift, explosive motion with one arm,” otherwise known as “punching.”