eight legs, no bones
March 7, 2015 7:56 AM Subscribe
Watch a large octopus depart a boat through a very small gap. [SLYT]
Octopi, octopuses, octopoda: three ways to say "Awesome."
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 8:15 AM on March 7, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 8:15 AM on March 7, 2015 [2 favorites]
They are the most awesome shapeshifting creature ever. Recently was awed by this instance of octo-camouflage.
posted by madamjujujive at 9:00 AM on March 7, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by madamjujujive at 9:00 AM on March 7, 2015 [4 favorites]
Stuff like this became even more amazing to me after I read that octopus brains don't control their arms directly.1 Apparently the brain just sends out the general idea of what it wants, and each arm has its own neurological system that translates that into the specific motions needed, responds to sensory inputs on its own, etc. So now I imagine trying to accomplish what we see in this video via a nine person committee.
posted by FishBike at 9:35 AM on March 7, 2015 [9 favorites]
posted by FishBike at 9:35 AM on March 7, 2015 [9 favorites]
I wonder if the people on the boat realize that the octopus now knows that it can get back on to the boat that way as well. When it wants revenge.
posted by srboisvert at 9:46 AM on March 7, 2015 [16 favorites]
posted by srboisvert at 9:46 AM on March 7, 2015 [16 favorites]
Things like this are why I just can't bring myself to eat cephalopods. It feels very much in the same category as eating monkeys, elephants, or cetaceans. They're just a little too high up on the sentience scale for me.
Yes, I KNOW PIGS ARE ALSO VERY INTELLIGENT. I'm not claiming perfection here, jeez.
posted by mrjohnmuller at 10:09 AM on March 7, 2015 [6 favorites]
Yes, I KNOW PIGS ARE ALSO VERY INTELLIGENT. I'm not claiming perfection here, jeez.
posted by mrjohnmuller at 10:09 AM on March 7, 2015 [6 favorites]
I KNOW PIGS ARE ALSO VERY INTELLIGENT
Seeing a pig squeeze itself through that slot? Now that would be impressive.
posted by flabdablet at 10:19 AM on March 7, 2015 [8 favorites]
Seeing a pig squeeze itself through that slot? Now that would be impressive.
posted by flabdablet at 10:19 AM on March 7, 2015 [8 favorites]
Things like this are why I just can't bring myself to eat cephalopods. [...] They're just a little too high up on the sentience scale for me.
I can't eat them because they're too high up on the "looks like All The Gross" scale for me. But they are certainly cool. This was pretty, pretty impressive.
posted by billiebee at 10:20 AM on March 7, 2015 [3 favorites]
I can't eat them because they're too high up on the "looks like All The Gross" scale for me. But they are certainly cool. This was pretty, pretty impressive.
posted by billiebee at 10:20 AM on March 7, 2015 [3 favorites]
Seeing a pig squeeze itself through that slot? Now that would be impressive.
That's exactly how bacon is formed.
posted by srboisvert at 10:32 AM on March 7, 2015 [8 favorites]
That's exactly how bacon is formed.
posted by srboisvert at 10:32 AM on March 7, 2015 [8 favorites]
They will REMEMBER this humiliation, and we will PAY for it!!
posted by snwod at 5:16 PM on March 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by snwod at 5:16 PM on March 7, 2015 [1 favorite]
WTF is up with those freaks wanting to cut off one of this creature's legs???
"Ooh, cool, amazing, we oughta hurt it or maim it or something, just to remember this moment by!"
Disgusting.
posted by IAmBroom at 10:18 PM on March 7, 2015
"Ooh, cool, amazing, we oughta hurt it or maim it or something, just to remember this moment by!"
Disgusting.
posted by IAmBroom at 10:18 PM on March 7, 2015
Octopi, octopodes -
There cannot be enough of these.
Salt and pepper, fried in batter?
Once on the plate we would rather
Not think too hard beyond their texture.
An alien mind died for your pleasure.
Maybe next time order fish?
posted by Combat Wombat at 7:55 AM on March 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
There cannot be enough of these.
Salt and pepper, fried in batter?
Once on the plate we would rather
Not think too hard beyond their texture.
An alien mind died for your pleasure.
Maybe next time order fish?
posted by Combat Wombat at 7:55 AM on March 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
MuFi's obligatory curse: now you too will not be able to think of octopuses without this little ditty.
posted by Ogre Lawless at 11:08 PM on March 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Ogre Lawless at 11:08 PM on March 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
Today I ordered "vegetable noodle soup in anchovy broth" for lunch. The vegetables turned out to be squid sections and tiny little octopi. I couldn't eat them, but I did have that little ditty playing in my head the whole time.
posted by moonmilk at 12:06 PM on March 9, 2015
posted by moonmilk at 12:06 PM on March 9, 2015
each arm has its own neurological system that translates that into the specific motions needed
This is consistent with my experience. A group of friends and I once caught an octopus at some tide pools of the Kumano Sea. It was large enough (but not as large as the one in the video) that we could each each a tentacle. The tentacle I ate wrapped around my hand and arm and squeezed for a good 10-15 minutes before it gave up the ghost.
And please, it is "octopuses". "Octopus" is not native to Latin (and is pluralized as "octopodes" in Latin). "Octopodes" would be the Ancient Greek for three or more - two would be "octopode". But, one doesn't need to learn foreign plurals to speak English. This is why no one orders "three pizze".
posted by Tanizaki at 12:34 PM on March 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
This is consistent with my experience. A group of friends and I once caught an octopus at some tide pools of the Kumano Sea. It was large enough (but not as large as the one in the video) that we could each each a tentacle. The tentacle I ate wrapped around my hand and arm and squeezed for a good 10-15 minutes before it gave up the ghost.
And please, it is "octopuses". "Octopus" is not native to Latin (and is pluralized as "octopodes" in Latin). "Octopodes" would be the Ancient Greek for three or more - two would be "octopode". But, one doesn't need to learn foreign plurals to speak English. This is why no one orders "three pizze".
posted by Tanizaki at 12:34 PM on March 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
speak for yourself
posted by billiebee at 1:33 PM on March 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by billiebee at 1:33 PM on March 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
Tre pizze con octopodes, s'il vous plaites.
posted by IAmBroom at 6:52 PM on March 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by IAmBroom at 6:52 PM on March 10, 2015 [1 favorite]
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