Coconut-shell carrying octopus

In this December 10 photograph taken near Indonesia
and released by Museum Victoria, a veined octopus hides
in a coconut shell. Melbourne scientists have filmed the
octopus collecting coconut shells for shelter.
Picture: AP Source: AP

I had to share this with you. The article was in the Melbourne Herald/Sun today and the following text from the newspaper and website. As the scientists, I find it absolutely gobsmacking!

Melbourne scientists discover octopus that carries and hides in coconuts


The bizarre antics of a coconut-shell carrying octopus have been caught on film by Melbourne researchers in a startling world first. Watch how this octopus uses a coconut shell to get up and running.

VIDEO: Coconut-shell carrying octopus

Scientists from the Museum of Victoria couldn't believe their eyes when they saw the creatures using coconut shells as tools in the waters off Indonesia.

"The first time I saw it I just about drowned," research biologist Dr Julian Finn said. "This was the first recorded tool use by an invertebrate and what it shows is that it's not a skill just limited to humans and apes.

"These animals were collecting shells for use later when it would put two halves together. That shows anticipation from a creature and it's exciting stuff for us."

Dr Finn and research partner Mark Norman spent more than 500 hours diving in remote Indonesian waters to observe and film the animals between 1999 and 2008.

Their findings were included in the journal Current Biology released for the first time yesterday. As part of the project, the pair witnessed octopuses dig out coconut shells from the ocean floor, empty the shells of mud using jets of water, stack two empty shells hollow-side up and carry the shells underneath their body in a unique lumbering gait they call "stilt-walking.".

The octopus antics are the most complex ever recorded.

Dr Finn said while many octopuses used available objects like shells or rocks for shelter, the veined octopus (also known as the Amphioctopus marginatus), went a step further by preparing, arranging and carrying pairs of coconut shells up to 20 metres to reassemble as a shelter.

The research and accompanying video footage has sparked a huge response from world-wide media outlets with the two scientists fielding interview requests today from as far as the UK, France and Japan.

The response has been enormous," Dr Finn said.