The moment, captured on video by researchers from the Auckland University of Technology, has quickly attracted international attention.

While octopuses are known for their intelligence and problem-solving abilities, such behaviour is highly unusual. Researchers suggest the octopus may have been using the shark as cover, attempting to avoid predators or navigate more efficiently through the water. It is also possible the octopus was defending itself after an attempted predation by the shark.

Dr Jochen Rieder, a marine ecologist involved in the observation, noted that the interaction lasted several seconds before the octopus detached. “It’s a fascinating example of how little we truly know about inter-species dynamics in the open ocean,” he said.

Mollusc intelligence

Octopuses are renowned for their camouflage, agility and advanced nervous systems. This encounter, though brief, underscores their behavioural complexity and may reflect a form of adaptive or defensive strategy.