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January 29, 2021 Volume 27, Number 4 |
General Interest |
Theme: Programming and Coding |
Revisited |
In the News |
General InterestBack to Top | |
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Theme: Programming and CodingBack to Top | |
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RevisitedBack to Top | |
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In the NewsBack to Top | |
Boxing for Breakfast or "Just Because"? New research explores why octopuses punch fish | |
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Octopuses Observed Punching Fish, Perhaps Out of Spite, Scientists Say Octopus punches fish in the head (just because it can) Octopuses Like to Punch Fish, New Research Suggests Octopuses punch fishes during collaborative interspecific hunting events Octopod: Inside The Amazing World Of The Octopus And the world's greatest pack hunters are... According to new research from Eduardo Sampaio, Martim Costa Seco, Rui Rosa, and Simon Gingins (a team of animal behavior and biology specialists), there may be a smackdown happening in the sea. The team's research on collaborative hunting and game theory led to a fascinating discovery: video footage of octopuses getting violent towards their fellow marine inhabitants. Described as "active displacement," and "a swift, explosive motion with one arm," the octopuses are essentially throwing jabs at nearby fish. In part, these punches are an aspect of the collaborative hunting partnership between coral reef fishes and octopuses; essentially, the move increases an octopus's access to prey. However, though many of the jabs are purposeful and practical, the research suggests that sometimes the jabs are unrelated to hunting. More analysis is needed to fully understand the phenomenon, but the research team hypothesized two reasons for these extra punches: first, an act of spite, and second, an "act of aggression with delayed benefits." In addition to the scientific insight, this discovery has provided some comic relief for the researchers. After all, it is a phenomenon that perhaps everyone can all relate to: Some days one feels like the octopus, some days one feels like the sucker-punched fish. [EMB] At the first link, Peter Dockrill's article for ScienceAlert describes this "partner control mechanism," comparing it to the way one might "elbow-out fellow diners at a buffet." The second link leads to Mindy Weisberger's reporting for Live Science, which opens by pondering the question "why do octopuses have eight arms?" and suggests the anatomical adaptation is all "the better to punch fish with." Weisberger also provides insights on the "hunting alliances" formed between octopuses and fish, a partnership that scientists have observed for decades. To view these brawls, readers will want to check out George Dvorsky's article for Gizmodo at the third link, which includes a link to video footage. Readers will find the study, published in the scientific journal Ecology, at the fourth link. If this story sparked an interest in octopuses generally, check out the fifth link. Here, readers will find an episode of NPR's podcast 1A that dives into a thirty minute discussion on the creatures (notable facts include that octopuses have a beak in their armpits, can release venom and ink, can taste with their skin, and can squeeze through an orange-sized pipe, despite sometimes weighing more than 100 pounds). Readers curious about other species that employ collaborative hunting techniques may enjoy the sixth link, which leads to a topical excerpt from Animalogic by Jennifer Huizen. | |