Octopuses observed throwing silt, shells and algae around and at other octopuses

In 2015 and 2016, researchers observed and filmed instances in which gloomy octopuses (Octopus tetricus) in Jervis Bay, Australia threw debris around themselves and sometimes at other octopuses.

This was the first time such throwing behavior has been observed in octopuses.

What was going on? Were these intelligent creatures merely rough-housing or having a pillow fight?

Led by Peter Godfrey-Smith at the University of Sydney, the researchers analyzed 24 hours of footage and identified 102 instances of such behavior amongst a group of about 10 octopuses.

DEMA Show 2022
DEMA Show 2022

Skinny but upbeat DEMA Show

After two years of disruption because of the pandemic, DEMA Show was back in gear. Well, largely. It was still markedly more compact than the pre-pandemic editions but still a large show with far more booths than one could reasonably manage to visit during its four days. Also importantly, the mood appeared to be upbeat, with businesses eager to ramp up activities as the industry and travel activities pull away from the doldrums. 

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DEMA 2022