A Coconut octopus carries a shell around the black sand for protection
The coconut octopus is found on sandy bottoms in bays or lagoons. It frequently buries itself in the sand with only its eyes uncovered.[citation needed] In March 2005, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, published an article in Science in which A. marginatus was reported to have a bipedal behavior.[1] It is one of only two octopus species known to display such behavior, the other species being Abdopus aculeatus. According to the article, this behavior was discovered in an area off Sulawesi, Indonesia, where the sandy bottom was littered with coconut shells. The bipedal motion appears to mimic a floating coconut.[2] Researchers from the Melbourne Museum in Australia claimed the creature uses tools for defense, and uses available debris to create a defensive fortress. This behavior, observed in Bali and North Sulawesi in Indonesia between 1998 and 2008, was published in the journal Current Biology in December 2009.[3][4][5] The researchers filmed A. marginatus collecting coconut half-shells, discarded by humans, from the sea floor, carrying them up to 20 meters (66 ft), and arranging the shells to form a spherical hiding place akin to a clamshell.
Size: 10000px × 6674px
Location: Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi, Indonesia
Photo credit: © Underwater / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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