Are Octopuses the Most Intelligent Sea Creatures?

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The discussion centers around the intelligence and curiosity of octopuses, highlighting their ability to interact with their environment in surprising ways, such as dismantling objects and escaping from tanks. Anecdotes include an octopus that caused a flood by pulling a plug and another that escaped its tank to eat a fish. Participants share their fascination with octopuses, expressing interest in keeping them as pets despite concerns about their short lifespan and the challenges of care. The conversation also touches on culinary experiences with octopus and calamari, with mixed opinions on taste. Additionally, there is a debate over the correct pluralization of "octopus," with preferences for "octopi" and "octopuses" being expressed. The thread concludes with admiration for the intelligence of octopuses and personal diving experiences involving encounters with them.
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I *heart* Octopi!

You think cats are curious?!?

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=are-octopuses-smart"found and turned a knob...just for fun. Just goofing around. Pulled a plug, and caused a flood.

From the article :

Octopuses simply take things apart. I recall reading about someone who had built a robot submarine to putter around in a large aquarium tank. The octopus got a hold of it and took it apart piece by piece. There's a famous story from the Brighton Aquarium in England 100 years ago that an octopus there got out of its tank at night when no one was watching, went to the tank next door and ate one of the lumpfish and went back to his own tank and was sitting there the next morning. The aquarium lost several lumpfish before they figured out who was responsible.
 
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I read about the one that flooded the tank. I guess they get bored easily. :-p
 


I've always sort of wanted an octopus for a pet, but I figured that in our climate it would freeze its tentacles off when I took it for a walk.
 


Danger said:
I've always sort of wanted an octopus for a pet, but I figured that in our climate it would freeze its tentacles off when I took it for a walk.

Only if you don't dress it properly for the weather.
 


Unfortunately, my knitting abilities aren't up to the task of making an eight-armed sweater.
 


Yea, they are all cute, till you have one stuck to your face.
 


They are very intelligent, as far as I remember they can solve problems dogs can't.
 


Not too hard to be clever with 9 brains. I have a cuddly toy octopus. I'm fond of them too.

http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/4182/1000094.jpg

He lives in my bed with kermit the frog.
 
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I just find them having a beak uneasy...
 
  • #10


Kurdt said:
Not too hard to be clever with 9 brains. I have a cuddly toy octopus. I'm fond of them too.

http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/4182/1000094.jpg

He lives in my bed with kermit the frog.
Ah Kurdt, you old softy!
 
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  • #11


Have you noticed Kurdt's octopus is red and shiny?
 
  • #12


Danger said:
Unfortunately, my knitting abilities aren't up to the task of making an eight-armed sweater.

Or wetsuit.
 
  • #13


Borek said:
Have you noticed Kurdt's octopus is red and shiny?

:smile:

Hope it doesn't keep you awake at night, Kurdt!
 
  • #14
  • #15


That's Wikipedia, Not really convincing as thrustful resource or?
 
  • #16


I *heart* Octopi!

Me too, calamari is G-R-R-R-REAT!
 
  • #17


Octopus.jpg

That burst of bubbles is a underwater SCREAM. Yes, the mean octi was wrapped up in my hands and refused to let go.
 
  • #18


The octopus takes Hypatia for his bride!
 
  • #19


Tom Mattson said:
Me too, calamari is G-R-R-R-REAT!

Calamari is squid, Italians generally don't eat octopus. We like good food.

Koreans like Octopus, dried. When I was there small dried ones were hanging in all the mom & pop shops. I tried it once. It was like trying to eat a fish flavored tire. I have tried it on Sushi but it's still like eating rubber.

"Fowler's Modern English Usage states that "the only acceptable plural in English is octopuses," and that octopi is misconceived and octopodes pedantic." lol
 
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  • #21


hypatia said:
That burst of bubbles is a underwater SCREAM. Yes, the mean octi was wrapped up in my hands and refused to let go.
Wow! How long did you struggle with it? Were you far from the surface? My first thought would be, if I can't get it off, to take it into air.

Those fellas are strong for being so small. How did you end up with it on your hands?
 
  • #22


About 120 feet down, and it all happened really quickly. I was fanning sand/silt away with my hands and he just sort of lunged at me. I really did not even see him, until it was too late. The person taking the photo came to my aid, after he realized I was about to panic. Even with 2 of us, it was hard to keep him off.
 
  • #23


I indeed like octopuses very much :approve:

16533055_be39d13660.jpg
 
  • #24


hypatia said:
Octopus.jpg

That burst of bubbles is a underwater SCREAM. Yes, the mean octi was wrapped up in my hands and refused to let go.
Hypatia, you're my hero, or heroine.
 
  • #25


You'd think more people would keep them for pets, though I don't think they live all that long. Does anybody know?
 
  • #26


hypatia said:
About 120 feet down, and it all happened really quickly. I was fanning sand/silt away with my hands and he just sort of lunged at me. I really did not even see him, until it was too late. The person taking the photo came to my aid, after he realized I was about to panic. Even with 2 of us, it was hard to keep him off.
At that depth, (considering dive-time at pressure), it would have been a really bad time to panic and surface. Glad you're still here with us. I have a friend who wreck-dives off the coast of Maine, where currents can be strong, the waters are notoriously murky and disorientation is a real danger. Stu is a trooper, and he brings my Dad Atlantic fresh scallops from time to time, but he is a risk-taker, like his own father, who owned the only Aston-Martin in the state at the time and scared the crap out of everybody who didn't wish him ill.
 
  • #27


Wow, hypatia...that's really amazing! Congrats at keeping your wits about you.

And holy cow, that's a lot of light for 120' - here in the Seattle area, you'd be in nearly complete darkness at 120' on an average day. Did you have a spotlight with you? The water is crystal clear! Where was that, to have such fantastic visibility?

And who the heck says 'octopodes,' seriously?!? I'm sticking with octopi...an all-around much better word :-p.
 
  • #28


hypatia said:
That burst of bubbles is a underwater SCREAM. Yes, the mean octi was wrapped up in my hands and refused to let go.

Maybe you taste like lumpfish.

Octopii have taste buds in their suction cups.

I've never eaten lumpfish.

They look a bit like peeps.

GD7981353@TOKYO---JULY-09--Ball-1781.jpg


You weren't eating marshmallows before you took your dive were you?
 
  • #29


Those look like Greg's avatar!
 
  • #30


Redbelly98 said:
You'd think more people would keep them for pets, though I don't think they live all that long. Does anybody know?

not sure how long they live, but people do keep them for pets, including the deadly http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue-ringed_octopus" it's actually not a bad choice since it's tropical and doesn't get big. but god help you if you get bit. personally, i wouldn't mind trying it some day, but not without spending a bunch of forethought on keeping him boxed in.

as for plurals, i prefer octopi. octopuses is a horrid word. i could maybe be OK with octopods.
 
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  • #31


Wow, hypatia. Great photo and all, but man-oh-man. Scary! You did well making it back to tell the tale. Phew.
 
  • #32


lisab said:
Wow, hypatia...that's really amazing! Congrats at keeping your wits about you.

And holy cow, that's a lot of light for 120' - here in the Seattle area, you'd be in nearly complete darkness at 120' on an average day. Did you have a spotlight with you? The water is crystal clear! Where was that, to have such fantastic visibility?

And who the heck says 'octopodes,' seriously?!? I'm sticking with octopi...an all-around much better word :-p.

Yes their were several platform lights mounted at different stages of depth/decompression. With a very slow current, the photo ops were good. Cabo San Lucas, between Lover's Beach and Pelican Rock, I don't recall the name of the dive company.
 
  • #33


hypatia said:
Octopus.jpg

That burst of bubbles is a underwater SCREAM. Yes, the mean octi was wrapped up in my hands and refused to let go.


I have those exact same fins :approve:. I can only imagine how hard it is to keep your wits in that situaiton at that depth.

An octopus' (hah, singular possessive) intelligence is very impressive. I've seen other similar studies or shows on the subject.

I've eaten octopus. I wasn't a fan, but I'm sure if you drowned the taste in garlic butter similar to snails it would be fine (seems to defeat the purpose to me). I regularly eat the extra tentacled fried calamari though :!)
 

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