octopus in aquariums are able to comprehend that certain actions will be stopped if humans see them being carried out. They are able to look through the glass to track the direction that humans outside of the aquarium are looking at, and wait for the the humans to look away before carrying out these actions.
octopuses can recognize individual humans by sight, even when the humans wear identical lab uniforms, and react different to different humans.
octopus in aquarium also appear to have learned that water level in the tanks can be adjusted by plugging up the drain, and would do so with their tentacles when the water level in their tanks are too low for their liking. They don’t plug the drain when the water levels are high.
Somehow some octopus learned that lights in laboratories can be shut off by the simple expedient of shorting them out with salt water. Octopuses tend to disliked bright lights. if laborary lights are left on, octopus will wait until humans have left and will squirt seawater at the lights to short them out.
octopus also appeared to be able to comprehend that they can signal to humans and humans could understand their meaning. In one experiment, octopuses are fed either kettle fish or sardines. individual octopus clearly has preference for one or the other. laboratory technicians would go down a row of tanks feeding the octopus in each tanks in turn. Some octopus, when given the less preferred food, would hold the food ostentatiously in their tentacles and wait for the technicians to finish the row of tanks and come back. when the technician is back at their tank they will ostentatiously walk along the bottom to the drain and stuff the disliked food down the drain.
octopuses can recognize individual humans by sight, even when the humans wear identical lab uniforms, and react different to different humans.
octopus in aquarium also appear to have learned that water level in the tanks can be adjusted by plugging up the drain, and would do so with their tentacles when the water level in their tanks are too low for their liking. They don’t plug the drain when the water levels are high.
Somehow some octopus learned that lights in laboratories can be shut off by the simple expedient of shorting them out with salt water. Octopuses tend to disliked bright lights. if laborary lights are left on, octopus will wait until humans have left and will squirt seawater at the lights to short them out.
octopus also appeared to be able to comprehend that they can signal to humans and humans could understand their meaning. In one experiment, octopuses are fed either kettle fish or sardines. individual octopus clearly has preference for one or the other. laboratory technicians would go down a row of tanks feeding the octopus in each tanks in turn. Some octopus, when given the less preferred food, would hold the food ostentatiously in their tentacles and wait for the technicians to finish the row of tanks and come back. when the technician is back at their tank they will ostentatiously walk along the bottom to the drain and stuff the disliked food down the drain.
