An octopus in Indonesia was seen carrying coconut shells, a first for its class, showcasing tool use in an unexpected way.
Discovery of tool use in octopus
In December 2009, scientists from the Museum Victoria in Melbourne and the University of Exeter observed an octopus in Indonesia carrying half coconut shells on the sand. This behavior, documented in the journal Current Biology, marked the first time an invertebrate was seen using a tool in the strict sense.Extensive underwater research
Researchers followed the coconut octopus across locations in Indonesia, including the Lembeh Strait and Bali. Julian Finn and his colleagues spent approximately 500 hours underwater over a decade observing the species Amphioctopus marginatus manipulate shells.Tool manipulation techniques
The octopus stacks the half-shells, climbs onto them, and then stiffens its eight arms to lift the entire load. Some individuals even walk on just two arms, with the other six folded around their heads, moving on the tips of their suckers in what the researchers called "stilt walking."Transporting the shells
Some of the observed octopuses carried the shells up to twenty meters. In some cases, the shells were nested one inside the other before the long journey, showing a level of planning and coordination in their tool use.
