Octopus Builds His Own Impressive City Under the Sea
Octopi are shockingly smart creatures. Now, scientists are finding that they are also impressive construction workers. Scientists discovered 10 to 15 gloomy octopuses living in Australia’s Jervic Bay. In this…
SYDNEY, NSW – JANUARY 24: A Blue Ring Octopus is pictured at Oceanworld Aquarium January 24, 2006 in Sydney, Australia. This Octopus has venom called cephalotoxin, and is composed from enzymes in the salivary gland in its mouth. The venom is a neuromuscular paralysing toxin, where nerve conduction in the victim is blocked, followed by paralysis, then death if no medical treatment is sought. Often the bite is painless, and therefore goes unnoticed. The Blue Ring Octopus is so named because of its iridescent blue rings, indicating its deadly nature to predators. Australia is home to some of the most deadly and poisonous animals on earth. (Photo by Ian Waldie/Getty Images)
Ian Waldie / StaffOctopi are shockingly smart creatures. Now, scientists are finding that they are also impressive construction workers.
Scientists discovered 10 to 15 gloomy octopuses living in Australia’s Jervic Bay. In this marine life interaction, the scientists noted in a published paper that they were living in a “high density” and “complex social interactions” like humans. Similar to a community above the sea, octopuses were able to “communicate, fight and even ‘evict’ one another from their dens in settlement formed around exposed rock patches” says the Huffington Post.
This little community has been dubbed “Octlantis” and is continued to be studied by scientists. Business Insider produced a video to give viewers a glimpse into the community. In the short clip, we can get a peek into the sea creature’s personality.
Previous to the scientists finding this tiny community, they used to believe that the creatures lived a solitary lifestyle. Now, this is not the first time scientists have found a community of octopuses. Back in 2009, another “Octlantis” was found not too far away from the Jervic Bay location. We guess Australian octopuses are just more social!
Wondering what it would be like to move into the community? Well, first of all, it would be hard to breathe. So, hopefully, you’re some kind of mermaid or merman. Besides that, it is a rather rocky area that consists of a settlement about 60 feet high by 13 feet wide. There are a series of empty shells that decorate the area and were once used as food by the octopuses.
If you’re into a rocky, shell-theme then this is definitely the place for you! Many of the octopuses live between the holes in the rocks. Hilarious enough, even though these octopuses aren’t paying rent, they can still be evicted. Scientists currently do not know why the creatures are doing this, but it’s sure fun to think about!
Sarah is a Hufflepuff living in NYC. When she is not traveling or talking to random animals, she is working as a script writer. Tweet her at @lumpyspacederp
