Not all fish are subject to the squid's attacks. On the contrary, the study, published in the journal Behavioural Processes, shows that only certain fish end up in the squid's crosshairs.
The researchers followed 38 young octopuses off the coast of Brazil and filmed 101 encounters with fish. Some of the encounters were with territorial fish and some with non-territorial fish.
Arm strikes
The intruding fish and squid interacted for an average of 14 seconds. The fish made jabs and quick lunges at the squid, which responded with arm strikes.
The fish that were more friendly to the octopuses were able to follow and swim close to them. These interactions lasted an average of 46 seconds.
According to the researchers, this shows that the octopuses' behaviour changes depending on the type of fish they encounter. A clear example of this is a previously undiscovered colour pattern, where the octopuses develop distinct white spots on their skin on the side facing the intruding fish. The researchers noticed that the fish seemed to back away when the octopuses' skin changed.
Stole a diving weight
The researchers also discovered that different individuals of octopuses have different personalities. Some were more shy, while others were more reactive.
The octopuses studied had one thing in common: they were curious about the researchers and tried to touch the cameras. One octopus managed to steal a diving weight from the researchers and carried it to its nest.
