SIMS

The Jekyll and Hyde of octopuses: a study of their personality

Renata's work involves collecting the Common Sydney octopus (Octopus tetricus) and keeping them in the aquarium facility at SIMS for 10 days after which she releases them. In a world first she has been able to successfully incorporate video playback into her study of this species. Previous attempts with the closely related cuttlefish have failed, and this could probably be attributed to a lower quality in the video format. Octopus have very good eyesight, even comparable to humans, so it is important that they are shown high quality video.

Video clips of a prey item (crab), fellow octopus, novel object and a control are played to the octopus. Their reactions to these videos demonstrate whether they are bold or shy or where they fit between. This is the most common way of determining personality. Octopus diverged from the vertebrate lineage millions of years ago so their expression of personality would suggest that this trait is nearly universal. The question that arises from this is: 'What is the selective advantage of having a personality?' Renata will infer from her study the ecological and evolutionary implications of octopus having a personality.

Octopus tetricus © Renata Pronk