How intelligent are cephalopods?

[Moontanman]

I guess I could have handled all of those, except the bonsai trees. Taking care of someone else's bonsai trees is positively scary. :eek:

 

I always kept swamp trees so they didn't need to be watered, they grew in standing water:hihi:

[modest]

I always kept swamp trees so they didn't need to be watered, they grew in standing water:hihi:

 

My plants follow a similar principle:

 

 

While I don't think the koi, goldfish, or plecos would take too well to an octopus :eek:: - I'm honestly starting to consider setting up a temporary salt water tank just to be able to design some memory mazes and other tests for our favorite cephalopod. I doubt anyone (present company excluded) would take the results too seriously, but I would.

 

Here's an idea, have a container/puzzle that is moderately difficult to open with something desirable inside. Put it in the tank each day and let the octopus open it and obtain the food. If the amount of time it takes to open the thing decreases then the animal has memory enough to recall the task. If it has to figure out how to open it again each day then the task is too complicated to remember.

 

If it does remember then a further objective would be skipping days longer and longer between container sessions to see how long it will retain the memory.

 

My suspision would be that the time required would be completely random. Some days it would accomplish the task very quickly while other days it would not accomplish it at all. This could be attributed to disinterest in the prize, but a control container could be set-up that opens effortlessly. If it has interest in the control then it should have interest in the puzzle.

 

I suppose I need to stop talking about this and do it. I already have an appropriate tank and pump. Never having set up a saltwater tank, I'll have some reading to do. :eek:

 

-modest

[Moontanman]

My plants follow a similar principle:

 

 

While I don't think the koi, goldfish, or plecos would take too well to an octopus :eek:: - I'm honestly starting to consider setting up a temporary salt water tank just to be able to design some memory mazes and other tests for our favorite cephalopod. I doubt anyone (present company excluded) would take the results too seriously, but I would.

 

Here's an idea, have a container/puzzle that is moderately difficult to open with something desirable inside. Put it in the tank each day and let the octopus open it and obtain the food. If the amount of time it takes to open the thing decreases then the animal has memory enough to recall the task. If it has to figure out how to open it again each day then the task is too complicated to remember.

 

If it does remember then a further objective would be skipping days longer and longer between container sessions to see how long it will retain the memory.

 

My suspision would be that the time required would be completely random. Some days it would accomplish the task very quickly while other days it would not accomplish it at all. This could be attributed to disinterest in the prize, but a control container could be set-up that opens effortlessly. If it has interest in the control then it should have interest in the puzzle.

 

I suppose I need to stop talking about this and do it. I already have an appropriate tank and pump. Never having set up a saltwater tank, I'll have some reading to do. :eek:

 

-modest

 

Great looking pond, I do like ponds as well. To keep an octopus shouldn't be that difficult depending on the size of the octopus and the size of the tank. a surface water return overflow and a trickle filter with a sump should do it. maybe put a polyfilter in the sump and if you really want to get the water right a protean skimmer in the sump. the old octopus opening a screw top jar is done quite often and they do remember how even after weeks of no jar. they can solve puzzles and remember so don't stay too simple with your tests.

[coldcreation]

Great looking pond, I do like ponds as well. To keep an octopus shouldn't be that difficult depending on the size of the octopus and the size of the tank. a surface water return overflow and a trickle filter with a sump should do it. maybe put a polyfilter in the sump and if you really want to get the water right a protean skimmer in the sump. the old octopus opening a screw top jar is done quite often and they do remember how even after weeks of no jar. they can solve puzzles and remember so don't stay too simple with your tests.

 

Here is an octpous opening up a jar for dinner:

 

YouTube - Pulpos: suave inteligencia (Octopus intelligence) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8cf7tPoN5o

 

"La inteligencia de los pulpos se somete a tres pruebas: plasticidad, versatilidad y flexibilidad. El estímulo es su presa favorita, el cangrejo."

 

Here's a vid that should be watched in its entirety:

 

YouTube - pulpo camuflado http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wukaiXFnebw

 

Cool.

 

 

CC

[DFINITLYDISTRUBD]

Wow! Cool schtuff!!!

(kinda creepy though...love the music:hihi:Lol!!)

[modest]

Great looking pond, I do like ponds as well. To keep an octopus shouldn't be that difficult depending on the size of the octopus and the size of the tank. a surface water return overflow and a trickle filter with a sump should do it. maybe put a polyfilter in the sump and if you really want to get the water right a protean skimmer in the sump. the old octopus opening a screw top jar is done quite often and they do remember how even after weeks of no jar. they can solve puzzles and remember so don't stay too simple with your tests.

 

Great stuff. Many websites I'm looking at have the same advice and the jar seems like a good idea. I'm hoping to be able to get the 'puzzle time' to go down after several sessions. That would be a sure indication of a reinforced memory. So I think you're right - it can't be too easy. Something maybe that requires more than one step, something that will take some time.

 

Here is an octpous opening up a jar for dinner:

 

:eek:

 

I understand the love affair with these things :doh:

 

-modest