Octopuses Are Among The Most Difficult Animals To Tame
Octopuses are among the marine animals that most catch the eye due to their unmistakable appearance, their large round head and numerous tentacles. But beyond that, these mollusks are distinguished by their great intelligence and can get bored easily if their mind is not well stimulated. Nonetheless, they are among the most difficult animals to train.
In this article we will go beyond the mere presentation of the characteristics and habitat of octopuses. We will talk about their spectacular cognitive faculties and their infinite curiosity. Find out more about this interesting animal species.
Some basic facts about octopuses
Octopuses are cephalopod molluscs with eight tentacles (octopods) filled with suckers. Like squid and cuttlefish, octopuses lack the external protection typical of molluscs such as mussels.
It is a carnivorous animal whose diet is based on the consumption of a large variety of marine animals. The octopus diet includes crustaceans (lobsters, crabs and shrimps), shellfish (clams and mussels) and various fish.
This curious species of the sea also eats algae to complement its diet, as they offer a high intake of high quality fiber, vitamins, minerals and proteins.
Curiously, giant octopuses even manage to eat large fish, such as sharks. In addition to this, they manage to catch small birds that wallow absent-mindedly on the surface of the sea.
Octopus habitat and life expectancy
Octopuses prefer the salty waters of tropical and temperate regions. Typically, they live near coral reefs, where they find many cracks and openings in which to take refuge. They can also live under rocky ravines to protect themselves and hide from predators.
Nonetheless, thanks to their incredible adaptability, these animals have spread across almost all the oceans of the world. The specimens that live in warmer areas are small or medium in size, while the cold water octopuses reach large sizes.
The life expectancy of octopuses is highly variable and depends mainly on the species. In captivity, this mollusk can live up to five years in optimal conditions. Its life expectancy in the natural habitat, on the other hand, is around one or two years.
The great intelligence of octopuses and the tendency to get bored
According to experts, the cognitive abilities of octopuses are comparable, in some theoretical aspects, to those of humans. Their evolution, however, has been different from ours, which is why it is impossible to establish a touchstone.
Just to give an example: octopuses only have a third of our neurons in their brains. The other two thirds are distributed in the tentacles, so their nervous system is very complex and their “arms” respond to sophisticated reflexes.
Why are they easily bored?
Although their intelligence is widely recognized, a surprising and curious fact is their tendency to get bored easily. The reason for this is due precisely to the ease with which they learn and memorize the challenges faced.
Researchers at the California Academy of Sciences were surprised to find octopuses’ high need for mental stimulation. In fact, these animals must be regularly presented with new games and puzzles to keep them mentally active and to be able to observe stable behavior.
The strange and controversial experiment with ecstasy
Biologists Eric Edsinger and Gül Dölen conducted a strange experiment, not without criticism, on the nervous system of octopuses and its possible resemblance to that of humans.
To do this, they decided to pour liquid ecstasy into octopus water in a controlled environment. The aim was to observe their nervous response and social behavior after exposure to the hallucinogenic substance.
The researchers were surprised to find that, like humans, octopuses become more friendly or sociable as a result of ecstasy. This occurs because their molecules bind to a neuron protein, which is why they increase the levels of serotonin, better known as the happiness hormone.
The most curious fact is that this protein is found in the SLC6A4 gene, which forms the genome of octopuses and humans. His discovery opens up new leads on possible similarities between the intelligence and nervous system of these mollusks and humans.
