Despite its extraordinary intelligence, the life of an octopus is a solitary one. So perhaps it is no wonder that the mighty brained cephalopod engages in a little thuggery to relieve the boredom.
Scientists have discovered that, on occasions, an octopus will “punch” a fish for no reason other than “spite”.
It is known that octopuses are able to escape captivity, solve problems, use tools and even possibly show humour, but they are, in fact, the playground bullies of the undersea world. Indeed, according to new research, they assault fish when they are supposed to be working together.
A report led by Eduardo Sampaio, a researcher at the Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre in Lisbon, found that the octopus has a tendency to punch
