Scuba Dive

Australian scientists have found what they are calling an “example of tool use” by octopi in the waters around North Sulawesi and Bali.  The scientists filmed the veined octopus, Amphioctopus marginatus, selecting broken coconut shells from the sea floor, carrying them under their bodies up to 65 feet, and then assembling two shells together to make a spherical hiding spot, though photos of the phenomenon make it look like the creature is wearing a tropical party hat.

Anyone that has ever watched an octopus while diving or even in an aquarium knows that these animals are smart and capable of quite intelligent actions.  What seems to be setting these studious octopi apart from their brethren is the collection of the shell fragments for later use in another location; basically planning for the future.  It’s the cephalopod equivalent of savings account for coconuts.