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One Smart Octopus!

MELBOURNE, Australia. Australian researchers were astonished to discover a species of octopus in Indonesia that collects coconut shells with the intention of using them to build a shelter. According to scientists, this unusually sophisticated behavior may be the first evidence of an invertebrate utilizing a tool.

Researchers Julian Finn and Mark Norman of Australia reported seeing four Amphioctopusmarginatus—commonly known as "veined octopuses" or "coconut octopuses"—gathering coconut shells. The shells had been chopped in half and tossed into the ocean. During dive trips in Indonesia, Finn and Norman filmed instances of a veined octopus selecting a suitable coconut half-shell. The octopus would empty the sand out of it and hug it under its body. It would then transport the shell up to 65 feet away. The animal then looked for a second half-shell. After finding it, the octopus would place the two halves together to form a spherical hiding spot.

"I was gobsmacked," said Finn, a research biologist. "I've never seen [an octopus] that grabs [a shell] and jogs across the sea floor."

To "jog across the sea floor," the veined octopus engages in a bizarre form of propulsion. Finn and Norman have termed this behavior "stilt-walking." The octopus stiffens its tentacles into something like legs. The creature then maneuvers in an awkward—and somewhat comical—fashion along the seabed. It looks like an overgrown, uncoordinated spider.

"I was trying hard not to laugh," said Finn. (Laughing can allow water to seep into a scuba diver's mask.)

According to Finn, the octopus' odd coconut-gathering behavior is an example of tool use that had not previously been documented in invertebrates. These creatures often utilize foreign objects as shelter. However, the veined octopus is going a step further. The animals prepare the shells and carry them for considerable distances. The octopuses then reassemble the shells as shelter elsewhere.

"What makes it different from a hermit crab is this octopus collects shells for later use," Finn said. "When it's transporting it, it's not getting any protection from it. It's that collecting it to use it later that is unusual."

The researchers conclude that the veined octopus probably once used seashells in a similar fashion. But this changed once humans began cutting coconuts in half and discarding the shells into the ocean. The octopuses, Finn said, now had a superior shelter material.

The veined octopus is not alone in its tool-gathering behavior. Various vertebrate species have demonstrated the ability to use common objects in creative ways. Elephants, for example, adapt branches into clubs for swatting insects. Sea otters use stones to crack open the shells of their prey. Asian monkeys called macaques have been known to steal a strand of a person's hair to floss their teeth.

But is Finn and Norman's film the first evidence of an invertebrate employing a tool?

According to scientists, that is a tough question to answer. Simon Robson is an associate professor of tropical biology at James Cook University in Australia. Robson said scientists debate exactly how to define "tool use" in the animal kingdom. Finn and Norman defined a tool as an object carried or maintained for future use. Other scientists, however, could define it differently. Therefore, it's difficult to say whether the film is the first evidence of tool use in invertebrates.

Still, Robson concluded, the findings are interesting—and significant. They reveal just how capable of complex behavior the veined octopus is, he said.

"Octopuses have always stood out as appearing to be particularly intelligent invertebrates," Robson said. "They have a fairly well-developed sense of vision, and they have a fairly intelligent brain. So I think it shows the behavioral capabilities that these organisms have."

Dictionary

bizarre(adjective)odd; strange
invertebrate(noun)an animal without a spinal column
maneuver(verb)to make something move in a certain way
organism(noun)a living thing
propulsion(noun)the process of driving or moving something forward

Multiple Choice: Circle the letter of the choice the best completes the statement. (2 points each)

1. According to the article, why is the film of veined octopuses carrying coconut shells significant?

  1. Because it shows that the veined octopus is able to find shelter in the ocean
  2. Because it proves that the veined octopus has a well-developed sense of vision
  3. Because it reveals that the veined octopus is capable of complex behavior
  4. Because it proves that the veined octopus lives in the waters near Indonesia

2. Which of these must happen third?

  1. The veined octopus empties the coconut shell.
  2. The veined octopus drags the coconut shell to a location.
  3. The veined octopus hugs the coconut shell to its body.
  4. The veined octopus selects a coconut shell.

3. Which is the closest synonym for the word maneuver?

  1. Stagger
  2. Improvise
  3. Operate
  4. Waver

4. Which of these is a statement of opinion?

  1. Some elephants adapt branches into clubs for swatting insects.
  2. Simon Robson is a professor of tropical biology in Australia.
  3. Two researchers filmed veined octopuses in Indonesia.
  4. Octopuses are the most fascinating invertebrates to study.

5. Which question is not answered by the article?

  1. How is the octopus different from the hermit crab in its gathering of shelter material?
  2. Why is Finn and Norman's film of the octopus' coconut-gathering behavior significant?
  3. How many dive trips in Indonesia did Finn and Norman take to film veined octopuses?
  4. Who is credited with first documenting the veined octopus' ability to utilize a tool?

6. What is this article mainly about?

  1. The sophisticated behavior of various vertebrates
  2. An ongoing debate among scientists about how to define "tool use" in the animal kingdom
  3. The typical job responsibilities of a research biologist
  4. An octopus that gathers coconut shells to use later in the construction of shelters

7. Which passage from the article best supports the opinion that other animals are at least as intelligent as the veined octopus?

  1. "Octopuses have always stood out as appearing to be particularly intelligent invertebrates," Robson said.
  2. Asian monkeys called macaques have been known to steal a strand of a person's hair to floss their teeth.
  3. To "jog across the sea floor," the veined octopus engages in a bizarre form of propulsion.
  4. "What makes it different from a hermit crab is this octopus collects shells for later use," Finn said.

8. The article states: The octopuses, Finn said, now had a superior shelter material. Which would be the closest antonym for the word superior?

  1. Inferior
  2. Desirable
  3. Humane
  4. Complicated

Opinion Question: Now that you have read the article, indicate whether you agree or disagree with this statement.The octopus carried a coconut shell to use later. Scientists say it is using a tool. Are scientists right to say this?(5 points)

Thought Question:Write a summary of today's article.(5 points)

Math- Each arm on an octopus is 15 centimeters long. One inch is the same as 2 1/2 centimeters. How long is each arm on the coconut octopus in units of inches? (2 points)