Christmas Special - Octopus Reacting to Different Color Lights

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through Octolab
Not a creature was stirring, not even an octopus;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
Manny was nestled all snug in his bed,
While visions of Lily danced in his head;
When, what to his wondering eyes should appear,
But different lights, but he had no fear
He sprang to his living room, to our team gave a whistle,
And we all flew around like the down of a thistle.
And we heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT!
Many of our viewers have requested a record of the octopus’ reaction to different lights.
As Christmas is a celebration of light being born in the middle of darkness, we thought it would be appropriate to design this Christmas-themed experiment.
Also, we wanted our little eight-armed friends to get a sense of the Christmas spirit and so we decided to decorate a tank and let Manny experience the warmth of a decorated living room.
Manny was thrilled with all the Christmas ornaments and was especially attracted to the texture of the Christmas tree!
When we begun to alter the lighting, Manny’s moods were clearly affected by the different colors.
The red lights obviously excited him, as he was more active, swimming around the tank. The green lights seemed to make him drowsy whereas the yellow ones were more intimidating as Manny was constantly looking for a place to hide. Perhaps he was feeling too exposed? The blue lights were more reassuring, as Manny seemed eager to interact with us. His handler remarked that his behavior resembled his feeding time routine. Sure enough, when offered a treat immediately after, Manny devoured it with lots of appetite.
It was nothing like a Christmas turkey, but it was a delicious Christmas meal alright!

[@herbalcreations7941]

Why was that octopus sleeping so cute?? These creatures are amazing

[@techgirl517]

Yeah they are, most amazing creature ever.

[@hannahpumpkins4359]

He looked so peaceful!

[@7389]

I know, I was saying "awwwwwww" the whole time. So cute.

[@margaretwilliams3900]

So graceful

[@margaretwilliams3900]

Love the musical accompaniment especially Sugar Plum Fairy

[@thefaceofchlo5390]

Forget current mood rings, let's get a new octopus-based mood ring: Red - excited Green - sleepy Yellow - isolated Blue - social

[@ciarrajohnson3849]

Yellow for isolated😆😆😆 Pink for horny

[@SEELE-ONE]

The Face of Chlo trust me, you don’t want a blue-ringed octopus...

[@hannyhawkins7804]

The Face of Chlo I thought blue was really distressed and begging to be moved out of the blue light.

[@AlcyoneSong]

Yellow water ... octopus ain’t dumb

[@ashsteepingtea]

I love your take on this, here's my extended version 💚🐙 Happy Holidays! 🎁🎄 Red - active and excited; safe water to aimlessly explore Green - perfect lighting for bed time Yellow - survival mode; the water is too shallow and clear Blue - it's huntin' time, where's the food?

[@carrollkuemper]

This octopus got a better home than me!

[@randysquires8362]

Better move, then, cuz its is a prison.

[@bleue5218]

@@randysquires8362 omfg take a joke

[@jetsfan1957]

@carrollkuemper ... Lol!!.. I was thinking the same thing!!!😂

[@alexwildlife3666]

@@randysquires8362 your right

[@randysquires8362]

@@bleue5218 MONKEY SEE, MONKEY DOO..... IT'S ONLY A JOKE..... CAN'T ""YOU"" TAKE A JOKE? EXCEPT THE JOKE WASN'T FOR YOU.... TIL NOW! 😆😂🤣😛😜😝🤐🤐🤐🤐😵 AND QUIT BLASPHEMING MY LORD WITH YOUR ABREVIATIONS, BUB. OYSFJ...🤔🤔🤔😑🤯

[@lzeph]

Yep. I seek food when I'm blue too.

[@GenderWoman666]

Yup, me too xD

[@lisaadolf2695]

What a clever "set" with a lot of tactile enrichment! It was fascinating to see the reactions to the various lights colors! I don't blame him for hiding in the yellow light, it was pretty eerie!🐙🎄

[@jacthing1]

Wonder if he thought it was daytime or something cause aren't octopuses nocturnal?

[@booper343]

The kindness you showed decorating his tank warmed my heart. The bow on the dresser...the little stools...you guys are amazing. Thank you and merry Christmas ♡♡♡

[@jesseholalde5670]

Great music selection choices for the videos!

[@ThePodVon]

Some of the music here I have not been a fan of but this was EXCELLENT!!!

[@catandcaboodle6492]

Merry Christmas, little octopuses! And to everyone at Octolab and everyone reading this also! Just the video I needed to see on a hectic day like today. Just chill a little with my octopus friends.🎄🎄☃️

[@firstname6822]

Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!

[@jbro8934]

This is like something you'd see in those old cartoons from the 60s and 70s like Casper and such. A little octopus in his furnished living room.

[@janet8496]

Manny seems to enjoy the strange texture of his Christmas tree, along with all the furniture. He keeps touching everything when the lighting is acceptable. Very interesting! And a Happy Holidays to all ❤️💚❤️💚❤️

[@ThePodVon]

I wonder if part of his curiosity about the tree is that octopuses taste what they touch and he is curious that it doesn't taste like what it looks like? Merry Christmas

[@DesertSessions93]

mmmmmm plastic, yummy

[@katemaxwell2804]

Love Mannys decor, very festive and homey!!!

[@marleyex2695]

It seems he's more active with the deeper darker colors.

[@EmeraldCoasttt]

Must be nocturnal

[@JuanoctavioUATCvolaris]

Marley Ex that’s cool but did i ask

[@HopskotchBunny]

When I woke up this morning, one of the first things I wondered was whether OctoLab would have a Christmas video tonight so THANK YOU. Manny is quite the charmer. Not a day goes by that I don't wonder how Nora is doing in her recovery as well. Merry Christmas to all you gorgeous cephalopods and your caretakers.

[@UberBri]

Cthulhu love! This water ballet is better than the Nutcracker!

[@imusingadisabledoldpersons63]

Im fond of the cthulu as well from what Ive read

[@littlemrpinkness295]

The Old Ones From The Deeeeeeep!

[@PicoAndSepulveda]

Brian Bowman You got that right!

[@Felineblood]

I must say your videos have made me fall in love with these creatures

[@warrennakisher8220]

I felt so much better since Manny had a nice living room with a Christmas tree...instead of an empty tank!

[@southernsass2937]

The green made me sleepy too😴

[@GenderWoman666]

2:30 - nothing, *NOTHING* in the world is more cute than a sleeping octopus! 🥰😍🥰🤩🤗🐙💖💗💓

[@IntrepidFraidyCat]

Very interesting! I was hoping our little friend would curl up in that comfy chair and snooze. I wonder what he (she?)thought of the Christmas tree. I'd love to watch them live!!! Thank you and Merry Christmas! 👍❤🐙

[@LavendarRoses]

IntrepidFraidyCat It's HE. His name is Manny. 😃🐙

[@IntrepidFraidyCat]

@@LavendarRoses thanks

[@bleueviolette4549]

Probably, can I eat this? Ho Ho Ho!

[@dianironfeather7785]

I would loved to have seen what he "thought" of colored twinkle lights on his Christmas tree.

[@stuartandrews4344]

What about ultra violet light.can they see that spectrum,would they react to it.

[@lynnphillipi3536]

I actually LOVE the sets you make for these experiments.

[@voodoopunchie5519]

That xmas scene was too cute, I love how the octopuses hug things as they investigate them!

[@chellesama8256]

Aww, he snuggled that armchair like a teddy!

[@michelec7006]

Happy Holidays everyone 🤗🎄♥️

[@tessarooker491]

Can you give him a Christmas present with a bow and video him opening it for us? I would donate to give him a Christmas gift if I could

[@LavendarRoses]

Tessa Rooker Good idea! He has plenty of arms to open his presents. 😉🐙

[@barbaradalzell2597]

I would absolutely love to see that!!!

[@jen9774]

Perhaps they could give him a see-through Easter egg to open when the time comes. Fill it with tasty octo-snacks.

[@tessarooker491]

this is what I needed today

[@davidzinck4633]

He looked cute in his little living room done up for Christmas!

[@angeliner59]

Thoroughly enjoyed this video along with the music. Was half expecting the octopus to crawl into the Christmas stocking! Merry Christmas to you as well!

[@Christ-ine]

Cannot like this hard enough

[@HelloKitty-ed5cy]

Such cool animals to watch, they never cease to amaze me with their intelligence and personalities, great video! MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone🎄😁🐙🦘 from down under..

[@Ricca_Day]

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏✨! Now just don't teach them to drive! The stoplights would prove problematic, if this behavioral response is consistent, right? Lol! Much love to the octopi! Many thanks to, Manny!

[@sygnus_3b]

Looks like Manny enjoyed the whole experience; well except for the yellow. Merry Christmas. 🎄🎁

[@sandrasignorelli5960]

Aww. Manny is too cute! Thanks so much for posting this video. Really enjoyed it. Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year to all at Octolab and especially Manny! 🥳🍾

[@annmcneal7804]

They are so smart! Blue= he was “blue” and wanted company. Green= more relaxing like his home environment = sleep. Yello= bright!= HIDE!

[@Kathy61954]

I wonder if they see the same color that we do ,or if they see a variaition of it.

[@taylorwest8465]

Not sure, but if I were to guess I think they would see it different to us since their eyes are adapted for underwater and lights behaves differently in water than air

[@angelinimartini]

I wonder if you see the same colors I see lol but we will never know.

[@AmyMcLean]

I'm sure there are studies on this somewhere. I watched a SciShow video on this a few weeks ago. We have 3 types of receptors in our eyes that allow us to see what we see. Dogs only have 2, so they see some colors but not others. And I think it was a fish that had 4, so that creature actually saw more colors than we do!

[@pbacina]

How did you anchor all the floaty stuff in the tank? It looks very real and comfortable.

[@Nadine----]

Glue, If he dyes you will not notice. They have more animals in captivity to make you happy, so you can look at it in the comfort of your house. He does not need a house, he lost his freedom. Don't forget to subscribe.

[@julayneo5472]

probably aqaurium safe silicone

[@taylorwest8465]

@@Nadine---- Glue wouldn't be a good option since many adhesives don't work well under water and the octopus could easily rip it all apart. Also they wouldn't put anything in the tank that would be toxic. Even if you think they would be cruel to him, it would be economically stupid to keep killing the animals

[@Nadine----]

@@taylorwest8465 Love to all. Sorry for my sarcasm I get upset at all the Aaaaa or so cuuuute. But you are right, I use silicone for my bathtub. It sticks much better, Just have to adjust to the toxic smell for a while. Some times I fell like I'm the only one aware of the consequences of the captivity of all sentient beings. kzbin.info/www/bejne/o4jCoX5jl5qMjZI Watch how much comforting hugs are happening in this marvelous video.

[@richerDiLefto]

Nadine *** - First of all, the octopus doesn’t actually live in this tank. It’s a small test tank where his behavior is recorded for a short time. As for the décor, it obviously had to be suited to an aquatic environment like any other object you put in water with living creatures. If animals died whenever your company’s aquarium decorations were used, you wouldn’t be in business for long. I suppose this would go straight over the head of a person who thinks she knows better than true animal experts and can only evaluate situations with knee jerk reactions. In case you didn’t know, there are plenty of misleading PETA videos out there to keep small, emotionally driven minds like yours good and self-righteous. Perhaps you should leave the science videos to the rest of us? 🙂

[@ildikokiraly9412]

Green: they use in mental hospitals to calm down patients!!= shows relaxation...oh..red made him funny and cute..

[@FireheadLazzo]

Really? I always heard that it was red light. Green lights make people look strange where red lights tend to hide blemishes and make people look nicer. It's also the reason that an area with high levels of prostitution is called a red light district.

[@ildikokiraly9412]

@@FireheadLazzo green is relaxation..hospitals inside,,everything-even dr.clothes..today in operation rooms..and officials color in any mental hospital or,so..

[@keatonblackman472]

Even Octopus Love Xmas P.S. Happy Holidays!

[@patty7791]

Out of ALL the Xmas themes I have seen, does THIS one bring sentimental tears to my eyes? Merry Xmas, my little octopi !!

[@helgafalckenberg6635]

Merry Christmas! ❤️🎄🇩🇪

[@LindaLuxable]

I loved seeing the neat atmosphere that you created for Manny to explore. The chair looked so comfy thst I was hoping to see him drape himself on it. I guess he feels too vulnerable unless he can hide. What did you mean when you said that he sought human interaction and might have been hungry?

[@ShabbyPoems]

I am in love! I adore Octopuses and this one is beautiful! I cried when it hugged the Christmas tree .. oh man ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗

[@2manybooks2littletime25]

Merry Christmas!💕❤💕👍

[@merncat75]

THIS is cool!! It took me a minute even understand what I was watching❣️

[@modernmuse84]

Such a stylish home❤️

[@Dj-ws9rj]

Manny is beautiful & so fascinating to watch!! Looking forward to the next color experiment video..Have A Blessed & Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to you All 🌲

[@reneeelias7168]

I think he was active in dark colors because he blended intoo backround /felt safe.

[@cconnelly1085]

how about a black light

[@ildikokiraly9412]

Than just think: someone dropped me on the bottom of ocean..sleep

[@DaffneyDalilah]

C Connelly - I predict he’d break out the glow sticks and have a rave.

[@cconnelly1085]

@@DaffneyDalilah lol

[@RetRNmamawMe]

You guys ROCK‼️This Mamaw loooves little Manny🐙🥰❣️❣️

[@rodee1671]

My theories are red: he looked stressed. Might be blood in the water, watch for bigger predators? Green: serene? Yellow: instinct to stay out of the sun while he's in the shallows? Blue: hunt mode? I also wonder about the chemicals coming off of all that junk in the water. I'd rather see what he would do in an emptier tank with the lights.

[@ThePodVon]

I wouldn't worry about chemicals - aquarium decor is expensive because it is always inert in water for exactly that reason. The Octolab guys know what they are doing :)

[@imusingadisabledoldpersons63]

@@ThePodVon do u work there?

[@flanneryred1939]

I am SO excited!! What a great Christmas gift! A Manny video!! P.S. Hanging stockings takes on an ENTIRELY new meaning on an Octopuses chimney!!! LOL!!!!

[@anaschulz8084]

What a beautiful and wondrous being! Thank you for sharing their lives with us in such a unique way.

[@CrazyPangolinLady]

This is the kind of holiday content I want to see! How do octopus perceive color?

[@_car5323]

They did a writeup on their website about the current theories but they haven't been proven right or wrong so far. In a lot of ways cephalopods have alien eyes, on the whole they have a similar structure to our and other vertebrate eyes, but in all the details are completely different.

[@bemusedbandersnatch2069]

Well if I recall correctly part of what's interesting about octopus color perception is that their skin also "sees" light as well. They kinda need to to camouflage properly.

[@vonnie0_0]

@@bemusedbandersnatch2069 Yeah, imagine being able to see through your arms! That is way freaky, but also really cool.

[@BabyPurpleBug]

This was interesting. I'm curious and would like to know more about how the experiment was conducted. Was each color change immediately following the previous? Perhaps the first one was exciting and then for the next two hours he was just exhausted from all the activity the first hour and by the last hour he was famished and his moods had little to do with the colors. Or was there time between the colors with his regularly colored light to just explore and chill? I look forward to seeing more of these and learning more about how they're conducted!

[@elizabethmaguire7487]

Can you imagine him opening up a Christmas present & finding some 🦀 🦀 inside!? Loved the video & seeing this beautiful 🐙♥️🇨🇦🎄☃️

[@harrietlyall1991]

My book on colour theory, “The Complete Colour Harmony”, says that yellow, very dynamic and sunny colour, is known to have an unsettling effect when very strong: babies will cry more in a yellow room, while couples tend to fight more. In nature, yellow is a danger signal, e.g. wasps are yellow and black. Blue and green are well known to be soothing and calming, while red is warm and confident. Unlike octopi, however, humans tend to get hungry in a red environment as opposed to blue, which seems to get Manny’s juices going!

[@BornAgainFarmGirl]

I’ve never thought an octopus was cute , until today 🙋🏻‍♀️ .

[@darebird3183]

Wow another great video! Nice big eyes in red, rest in green and hidden in yellow. I love his christmas decorated home and the music is good too. We respect the octopus more because of you Octolab. Merry Christmas guys cant wait for the next video!

[@lunaa764]

2:28 Okay, I never expected a sleeping octopus to look so cute :,)

[@2023Mermaid]

when he fell asleep under the green light. So cute lol

[@MisterMitchMM]

Quite fascinating. Thank you for sharing. All the best. Mitch

[@tinamurphey7120]

This was a great experiment and a great video for all us fans. Can't wait to see the next one of this.

[@FlyTyer1948]

Of course, he was excited. Lots of stuff to explore. By the time it got green, the exploring was done. Time for octocookies & more treats - more excitement!

[@debbiedunn4477]

His little house is so cute. Looks like he prefers the red light the best.

[@luiscavalcanti3431]

OMG. What a beautiful scenario you’ve done to him ❤️. Those testing you’re guys normally do are minimum comparing other channels. Even tho, they’re the maximum in creativity, interesting matters. Congrats. It’s always a pleasure check the news videos

[@adamiroronra]

I suggest to dot these experiments : - Blacklight - IR light - No light. Maybe it doesn't see red light at all, so no light may provoke the same reaction.

[@AmyMcLean]

I love the adorable vignette environment! So cozy!

[@samiamisme]

I could watch him(?) all day. His little decorated home is so cute. I want to come hang out. I always have so many questions after watching a video. Love it! Happy New Year to all of you!

[@RDBYMEDIA]

Merry Christmas Octolab. Thanks for the video's you provide for us. We appreciate it. 🎄🕺🥂

[@zoebowdery2219]

That a lovely thing to do god them u can tell they lovdd it it proper little house so cute love it can they have little houses all the time I love them thdre the cutest octopuses ever lilly got lovely eyes she looks very pretty girl and manny handsome little boy love u octopuses xx xx xx merry Christmas and a happy new year and I hpoe farther Christmas brimgs u lots of preasents as u been very good little octopuses from zoe in England

[@PamelaJLamon]

He was sooo cute hugging the xmas tree!

[@bleueviolette4549]

I was so hoping the octopus would relax on one of the chairs. Happy Holidays to all!

[@kathleenkilroy9991]

Merry Christmas little octopus! I love them & squid. Amazing creatures. The way they change colors and light up are still a mystery to us. How wonderful our world is!

[@PicoAndSepulveda]

Beautiful creatures and so interesting to watch them react to the different lighting. Love the adorable set and music. Saving this on my Christmas playlist.

[@safeinmyheart1]

Anyone else wish the tree in the tank had multicolored lights on it? I'd like to see how he responds to that in the darkness. Great videos. 😊

[@toutsen]

Imagine waking up to what you thought was Santa Claus only to run down stairs and see a huge octopus scaling your Christmas tree... Climbing down the chimney would definitely be easier if Santa was an octopus. Octo Claus lives!

[@nancybeard812]

At first I thought they were gonna light up the Christmas tree with different colored lights. It was interesting.

[@b.ellenlininger4866]

So interesting, and I enjoy the music matching the mood and activity in each lighting condition. Now we know, if an octopus is getting surly, shine a green light on him! 😴

[@bryancorts5389]

Get him him some squid billies memorabilia in that tank! Love these experiments! Real classy stuff you guys are doing.

[@StrangeLittleGarden]

Am I the only one disappointed that they didn't give him an actual working tiny Christmas tree with multi lights?

[@AlittleSprite]

HandMade By Holly that’s what I thought was going to happen. 😂

[@vanessinunya5274]

@@AlittleSprite me too!

[@bonitamendoza1654]

❤Thank you so muchfor sharing these awesome videos!🤗 I've always loved octies😍

[@LittleKitty22]

Wow this is fascinating, indeed it is well known that red increases energy levels, green calms etc. Such a cute Christmas scene you have set up for him! And what a beautiful octopus he is!

[@EyeSeeThruYou]

My Senegal parrot and I just watched...recall avians can perceive images in the UV spectrum...he was KEENLY interested!

[@Alodie-oOIOo]

Octopods are my favorite animals!! They are soooo smart (!) AND cute!

[@celestek.2395]

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU TOO!! 💗💗💗

[@Delaney-and-the-Starlight]

I would love to see which he prefers if given the choice to go into any of the colors next to each other

[@sinnombre4357]

For a moment I thought he was gonna sit in the armchair to take a nap! 😆 (green light moment).

[@alexontheedge]

Manny seemed to "enjoy" exploring all the interesting objects in his normally barren tank. Under the red light, he definitely went straight for the tree. I think he was hoping it was a real plant of some sort; then he seemed disappointed that it was a stiff artificial thing. I'm still advocating for more environmental/visual stimulation for these practically sentient beings. And not just in experiments. While you have explained that their normal environment is pretty flat & featureless, I wonder what it will look like in a few years where bottom trawling is banned & the environment recovers for "coral, sponges, octopus, crab, sea stars, rockfish and lingcod that seek shelter and feed at rocky seafloor structures." (From an article in the Chronicle about new restrictions on bottom trawling off the West Coast.) As for this experiment, it would've been interesting to do it over again the following day with a well-fed Manny and the colored lights in a different order. Just to be sure, you know. But will look forward to the multiple octopuses experiment in the new year.

[@whodatis2]

As I watch these videos of how interesting and intelligent these amazing creatures are, I've fallen in love with them.

[@TheAcquibajo]

Thank you so much. It was very interesting!! Merry Christmas to you all!!🎄

[@sandrawightman7879]

What a wonderful video. Hope you have a Merry Christmas and that your cutie gets a nice Christmas dinner....

[@sovietpikachu5108]

I never thought an octopus would be this cute!

[@sandradonnelly5427]

I have learned to deeply appreciate the octopus watching your videos. What a magnificently intelligent being!!! So admire &💝 love them🌹. Thanx & 🎋 happy new year to all🎉

[@rbrb69]

Great video! Octopus sleeping 😴 too cute!

[@richerDiLefto]

Aww, little octy has a Christmas home. 🎄💕

[@colleenforrest7936]

So just like a plant, the octopi responded well to blue and green light... Interesting. Merry Christmas Octopi!

[@flanneryred1939]

WOW!! Different lighting?!?! Boy oh boy!! How about that he now has a complete "bachelor's pad"?!?! Does Manny need a room mate?!?! LMAO!!!

[@patricesteiner1168]

Merry Christmas! Thanks for this special treat. It will be fascinating to see how your experiments with color go.

[@yallgettingonmynerves]

This was so adorable! I love how you guys decorated, it was a fun experiment. Happy Holidays and thank you all for this type of content. The more we understand the creatures we fear the more we respect them. Happy New Year!

[@anny3046]

Octopus mood lighting: red 4 energy, green 4 relaxing, yellow 4 danger-danger hide, blue 2 make him hungry! Merry Christmas!