Octopuses Observed Punching Fish, Perhaps Out of Spite, Scientists Say
21 DECEMBER 2020
In new proof that 2020 has been a crappy year basically everywhere, scientists have captured video evidence of octopuses randomly punching at fish, possibly for no reason other than being spiteful.
While this remarkable, rather nasty-sounding behaviour might seem like it comes from a place of direct conflict between different animal species, that s not the whole story, researchers say.
In fact, this antisocial fish-punching phenomenon – which scientists term active displacement of fish – occurs in the midst of collaborative hunting efforts, in which octopuses and fish team up to chase and trap prey together.