octopus behavior

Otto, an octopus living at the Sea Star Aquarium in Coburg, Germany, seems to have a flair for interior decoration. According to the aquarium directors he periodically rearranges all of articles in his tank to "suit his own taste better, much to the distress of his fellow tank inhabitants." It is unclear if he actually prefers his home certain ways or if he's just seeking attention. He has been known to juggle hermit crabs and to throw rocks against the glass walls and damaging them. But Otto's greatest feat thus far concerned a bright spotlight that shone into his tank at night. Otto tries…
New research has revealed some stunning courtship rituals of octopuses including flirting, hand holding, lover guarding, and even stalking the Myspace pages of potential mates. The studies were conducted by the University of California, Berkeley on Abdopus aculeatus a kind of octopus living in a large colony off the coast of Sulawesi, an island in Indonesia. Do you have eight gloves in your pocket? Because I can see my hands in your pants. "We quickly realized that Abdopus aculeatus broke all the 'rules' -- doing the near opposite of every hypothesis we'd formed based on aquarium studies…
Louis, an 18 month old, giant Pacific octopus at the Newquay's Blue Reef Aquarium in the U.K. has a new best friend: a Mr. Potato Head doll. In this article on bbc.com, Matt Slater of the aquarium, talks about Louis' love affair with the little plastic man (NOTE: This quote is a lot more powerful if you imagine it with the accent of the chimney sweep from Mary Poppins):"Its bright colours, strange shape and... ...moveable parts make it fascinating for Louis.The secret space within Mr Potato Head allows us to hide tasty treats like fresh crab inside and that perhaps more than anything has…