Video Shows Octopus Hunt With Fish, Punch to Keep Them in Line

The above-average intelligence that octopi possess is displayed in myriad ways, from their problem-solving capabilities to their ability to use tools. However, new research has shed even more light on these keen animals, suggesting that the eight-limbed invertebrates not only hunt with packs of fish, but will actually resort to physical means to keep them in line.

The study, which was published in the journal Nature on Monday, focuses on the species of octopus cyanea maraud, also known as the big blue or day octopus, which were found to hunt with groups of fish; sometimes with even several species at once. And it should come as little surprise that the octopus were in charge of organizing these hunting expeditions, including the prey that was sought.

In coming up with the findings, researchers spent about a month diving at a reef off the coast of Eilat, Israel. Over the course of the study period, 13 octopuses were tracked using several cameras for a total of 120 hours. The team followed along for a total of 13 hunting sessions, and each time they observed group of anywhere between two and 10 fish working alongside each octopus.

The type of fish also varied, with the octopuses hunting with species such as blacktip groupers and goatfish. And while the animals did not necessarily lead the hunting groups, they were seen “punching” at the fish, particularly the groupers, to enforce social order and keep them moving.

Eduardo Sampaio, a postdoctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior who also lead the study, told NBC News that the fish who got punched tended to be the “main exploiters” of the hunting groups. “These are the ambush predators, the ones that don’t move, don’t look for prey,” Sampaio said.

“If the group is very still and everyone is around the octopus, it starts punching,” he explained. “But if the group is moving along the habitat, this means that they’re looking for prey, so the octopus is happy. It doesn’t punch anyone.”

As far as why the fish go along with these hunting groups, and the apparent abuse they suffer, the researchers believe that the fish benefit from the octopuses ability to reach into tight crevices where prey hides. On the other side of the coin, the octopus is able to simply follow the fish to the food source instead of engaging what the researchers refer to as “speculative hunting.”

“For the octopus, it’s also an advantage because it doesn’t need to sample or go around the environment. You can just look at the fish,” Sampaio added.