Octopuses have often been thought to prowl the seafloor solo using camouflage. But a new study suggests that some have surprisingly rich social lives.
A new study shows that some members of the species Octopus cyanea maraud around the seafloor in hunting groups with fish, which sometimes include several fish species at once.The research, published in the journal Nature on Monday, even suggests that the famously intelligent animals organized the hunting groups’ decisions, including what they should prey upon.
These hunting groups typically included several species of reef fish, such as grouper and goatfish. The octopuses did not appear to lead the groups, but they did punch at fish to enforce social order — most often at blacktip groupers. “For the octopus, it’s also an advantage because it doesn’t need to sample or go around the environment,” Sampaio said. “You can just look at the fish.”
An Octopus cyanea hunts with a blue goatfish while a blacktip grouper lies in wait. The snout of a cornetfish is also visible at the top of the frame.
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