These Octopuses Throw Objects, Sometimes At Each Other

Using their siphon, octopuses can shoot objects and debris, which is an unusual behavior for a non-human species.

By Erin Berge
Nov 9, 2022 7:00 PMNov 9, 2022 7:13 PM
Octopus debris throwing
Panel A — Octopus (left) projects silt and kelp through the water; B – an octopus (right) is hit by a cloud of silt projected through the water by a throwing octopus. (Credit: Godfrey-Smith et al., 2022, PLOS ONE, CC-BY 4.0)

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Grabbing a shell with its tentacles, an octopus takes aim and shoots the object through the ocean using a jet of water. Its target isn’t a threat or predator — but another octopus.

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