Octopus Reacts to Video of Himself - Episode 6

Do octopuses belong to the select group of animals that possess the ability of visual self-recognition? How would an octopus react to a moving picture of itself?
Even though our previous mirror tests with other octopuses have partially addressed these questions, we were curious to see how an octopus would react to video footage of itself.
For the sixth episode of our Octopus Reacts series, we recorded a short video of our octopus and soon after that, we showed this video to the octopus.
We found the octopus’ reaction highly interesting, and we hope that your insight will help us decode this octopus’ strange behavior.

[@vaszgul736]

I think because he lives in tanks, he should be very familiar with his own reflection. You can see his reflection in the surface and in all sides of the tank even here. He's surrounded by glass and the reflective surface, so maybe he's aware it's a reflection of himself but he's Fascinated by the fact it's not copying him? Funny that he begins copying it. There's no way to know what goes through an octopus' mind, but I like to imagine he's trying to figure out why his reflection stopped mimicking him. (ngl I'd be scared if the mirror me started doing something else)

[@benmiller5015]

What nobody knows is this is actually a vlog posted by octopuses. They have mastered your human ways n are making you docile for when they take over lol

[@molsen06]

I for one welcome our new Octopus overlords.

[@benmiller5015]

@@molsen06 YES!!!!!!!! Embrace them as your new lord n savior

[@NewMessage]

The camera really does add 10 lbs.

[@IslandGirlKelly]

😂😂

[@denisekeplinger2102]

I needed that laugh! Still laughing 5 mins later!!!

[@sydneykendall7125]

That was a good one! :D

[@karenahmed4722]

Octovideo. He's probably thinking, "What a handsome fellow that is!"

[@benmiller5015]

I look good. HEY EVERYONE, COME SEE HOW GOOD I LOOK! Lol

[@josi4251]

I thought the same thing!

[@DaffneyDalilah]

He seemed to catch on pretty quickly that the “other octopus” was not a threat to him. I wonder if he was so at ease with the octopus in the video because the video octopus didn’t display any of the cautious defensive nature that usually is seen when they meet up with another octopus. I wonder how the interaction would differ if it was a real octopus? It was adorable to see him try to play with his new “friend” though! 🐙

[@catandcaboodle6492]

That's a really good point there, about the normal defensive mechanisms not being displayed and how that might have affected him

[@sueg2658]

I think perhaps he really enjoyed his own company :-)

[@kempossibleprivateinvestig9998]

It did!😄

[@LittleKitty22]

He is certainly copying the "other" octopus - very interesting, since they normally don't like other octopuses. He seems to want to interact with the "second" octopus and he's confused as to why he can't get to him. Would love to know what he is thinking!

[@dianeclarke3763]

I’m sure I saw a little bit of mimicry there!! 🐙🐙💜

[@Frei_Raum]

I've thought the same. Sometimes it looked like it was imitating the behaviour of the video octopus.

[@suckit758]

What is strange is the video made the octopus look bigger than the real octopus so normally it should scare the smaller octopus into hiding

[@pony3161]

Mirror neurons ar work, maybe?

[@CheshieD]

@@pony3161 possibly? I’m not totally sure how exactly they were in other animals sometimes.

[@Sopranohooper]

I wonder if this is the same octopus that watched the box opening instructional videos.... If he was, he should get an extra crab or whatever for attempting to "follow the directions".

[@michaellecompte1889]

It knows that its a video of itself. It recalls its previous movements and mimics them. Its very excited to see this, just like my 5 year old loves to watch videos of himself.

[@roberthudson1034]

I think he could’ve even remembered this particular day and tried to replicate what he did while the video was playing instead of just blatantly mimicking. Or he was just tryna see how he moved around. Kinna like a football player watching film. Either way I think he knows it’s him

[@AI-Assist-2024]

Octopus 🐙 thinking: I hope this video doesn’t make my head look too fat.

[@keekeemason256]

Lol! Cute.

[@mTealeaf]

It looks to me as if he noticed immediately that it was him coming from his Octohome, he was very receptive to the "other octopus" in his zone. I would imagine they can see the complex skin variations of themselves as it's what they spend most of their time looking at. I don't doubt at all that he recognized himself, especially after seeing him first copy then exact mimic the actions of himself. Maybe it was further testing for him but they looked conclusive in my eyes. I do wonder somewhat if maybe he was trying to determine if he was actively looking at himself like in the reflection or if how this afterimage of them was around. I'd love to see a further test of showing them another video, maybe this one maybe not, then if their reaction is similar switch to a live feed of the octopus to see what their reactions might be then..

[@nakilanakilau3163]

Do I look that big? Oh my god...I have to change my diet😳

[@mookyo9602]

WHERE HAS THIS CHANNEL BEEN ALL MY LIFE!?!? Not only are we able to watch these little fascinating creatures. But you play games and do tests with them and they love it! Without a doubt this is my new favorite Channel! THANK YOU💜💜💜

[@ThePollaton]

Has he also seen a video of a different octopus...to see if he reacts in the same way. He was definitely acting like he knew it was himself.

[@julissy9689]

He's like... I am handsome! Human! Get me an Octogram account!

[@JustDiane71]

I'm thinking he knows it's himself.

[@silivrengamer]

He was definitely mimicking himself in the video.

[@tupecktherappingparrot4345]

Now there’s a neat experiment. Our cockatoo recognizes herself in the mirror. And she practices all of her adorable poses. 😂

[@osyasa6255]

He looks like he loooooves what he sees

[@bryancorts5389]

I think this octopus enjoyed it. Amazed i bet

[@jasonblalock4429]

Do we know enough about octopus eyes to be sure he was seeing roughly the same image we are? Seems like there could easily be a difference in his perception of a mirror vs an LCD display. Or even a difference between what the camera saw and his own perception of his environment. Edit from the future: They've done a few more tests involving TVs now, and it does seem clear that the octopus perceives the screen accurately, or at least accurately enough to recognize and attempt to pounce on prey.

[@DerFroschMitMaske]

Jason Blalock I was about too ask the same! Cause for all we know the octopus might just see unusual moving lights, but without registering it as another octopus...

[@jasonblalock4429]

@@DerFroschMitMaske Yeah, I just did a little googling, and apparently octopuses' color\spectrum perception isn't well understood. So it's also entirely possible that a camera tuned for human eyes would produce a wholly unidentifiable image for an octopus, or at least one distorted enough not to appear real.

[@KosmoGoat]

Was about to write a similar comment. I also wonder if the frame rate of the display is high enough for persistence of vision of the octopus or if he just sees flickering images on that monitor.

[@CheshieD]

@@jasonblalock4429 Ik they can see a huge range of light waves, but it’s still debated despite us having evidence of “invisible”(to us) patterns that they use.

[@toutsen]

There is a video on this channel where a TV plays a loop over and over showing a human solve a simple puzzle and gain entrance to a container with food inside. The octopus did not have any luck on his own, but after a short period watching the video, he immediately knew what to do. There is also a video where the octopus attempts to capture crabs on screen. I think its this channel as well. Either way, it seems very clear that they can see screens just fine!

[@ginag6209]

Sooo cool! In the mirror test, that octopus got angry at its reflection, but here it seems to know it’s a video and maybe even himself!

[@sirtalkalotdoolittle]

He's thinking that other octopus is quite good looking

[@thepaperdragon1951]

He is remembering and drawing from that while adoring himself. Somewhat like mastering a routine that’s so familar and yet so far.

[@skyhiker9669]

I love this little guy!😃

[@PATangoS_]

I wonder what it would have done if the video was of a more selective eveny, such as it solving a puzzle or eating something special. Would it remember that event?

[@blueeyes6852]

Another fascinating look into our curious octopus! Thank you!

[@13kombu69]

Very cool! After the 'Who's that?' and 'No threat' stages, he began mimicking his own (recorded) moves, eventually moving ahead of the footage to where his recorded moves mimicked his live moves . . . fascinating. So I wonder, by the end of the experiment, if he remembered his moves at the time of recording (which would be staggeringly profound) or if he just began doing 'what came natural' and studied the recording (often being the same move) . . .

[@bobbypentland5764]

Look like he remembered what he did and was anticipating his own moves

[@kimdawcatgirl]

The Billy Idol song, "Dancing with myself" came to mind while watching!

[@nachannachle2706]

What an incredible synchronised ballet! You really see the octopus' personality shine through its swimming habits and playful routines. This video made my day!

[@BazilRat]

How very strange, he definitely doesn't think it's a threat...

[@empanadasfritas7142]

He seems to be imitating some movements from the video and then moving himself waiting for the video to imitate him. Is like if is trying to start a new relationship dancing.

[@2manybooks2littletime25]

This was captivating to watch! He at least knew that he was seeing an octopus and, after a few moments, had determined that it wasn't a threat to himself. Have you done one with a mirror? I love all of your videos. The octopus is crazy intelligent! Imagine if they lived on land: We humans may have problems on our hands since we don't exactly like competitors! (Remember Neanderthals? Indigenous populations?). I believe that animals of all kinds are intelligent to differing degrees. I saw an interview with a man who had about 4 or 5 Ph.D's, including biology. He had made a documentary film about chimpanzees. The interview addressed intelligence at one point and the interviewer asked the scientist who he believed is smarter: the chimps or himself. The scientist said that in the concrete jungle where he mostly lived and worked, he was smarter. In the African jungle where chimpanzees live, the chimps were exponentially more intelligent than he was. He couldn't survive for very long alone in the jungle, but chimps, as well as any animals that live in that environment, were smarter than he is. It does come down to many factors when discussing intelligence. Take an octopus and place his 9 brains, 3 hearts in a human form on land...? EDIT: I found your video, "Octopus Gets Angry at His Own Reflection."

[@Sopranohooper]

There is another one, where they showed the same octopus another mirror... and this time he realized it was his reflection...

[@Zombie_Octopus]

If only we knew the depth of its thought

[@dianalovescolors]

🎵But they're cousins,🦑 identical cousins all the way🎶🦑 One pair of matching bookends🎵🦑 different as night and day🎶

[@miskatonic763]

Oh My god! You must be as old as I am.

[@heatherjones6647]

RIP Patty Duke.

[@aidanmcferris3004]

I felt like there should be some crazy psychedelic dream music playing! LOL!

[@Splintrix]

I'm sure I would not like my own company as much as this octopus does.

[@leannvlewis]

Thanks for sharing. I could watch the Octopus for hours. Something very relaxing about it for me. 😍

[@violetlove1893]

I think the octopus recognized himself in the video. It's a very intelligent marine animal and has great memory.

[@CopalFreak]

Fascinating! Would live to see the same subject react to a live stream of him/herself.

[@americanjedi5952]

Almost monkey see, monkey do. 😆

[@christawhite7057]

It seemed like near the end of the video they were repeating the same footage on the screen, and he was predicting the video octopuses movements- like up, down, and crossing over to the other side of the tank.

[@sagelovestodrum]

Ah to be your own best friend ((sigh)))

[@treborironwolfe978]

"Hey! Don't I know you from somewhere??"

[@zebra3stripes]

I look a little heavy, but everyone knows the camera adds 1.25 pounds to each arm.

[@riskeworldstage5422]

Tested the image, then mimicked itself, then anticipated its next moves. By then, it had figured out it was a recording of itself, it seems.

[@NS-xt5wv]

lol he thinks it’s a mirror by repeating after his video... or it’s his yoga routine 😄

[@jic1]

'Wait, you're making KZbin videos of me? Can we do a collaboration with The Fish Whisperer? I could really go for some shad!'

[@Intensivelight-photography]

He looks as if he likes what he sees :-)

[@RooMan93]

i act the same when i see my reflection, i dart around the room thinking wtf is that.

[@codex7213]

I wish I could laugh react to this lol

[@SweetUniverse]

"Who is this fabulous creature?!!" 😄😄❤

[@nickrustle2189]

He sees his own reflection in the tank walls, he recognizes that’s him and coping the moves because he got used that mirror reflection does the same

[@acethesupervillain348]

that's wild, it seems like he's predicting the motions of the video. Maybe it is remembering what it did that day?

[@phi-ws8mz]

The octopus thinks it’s a part of the sea that he can’t get to because of the barrier and sees a octopus. He can’t know it’s himself because there are no scents of him and he can’t use his tentacles to confirm it’s him.

[@kerryrwalton7791]

There seems to be intense observation going on along with the octopus's color remaining dark throughout the video. He goes away periodically then returns to observe or mimic or perhaps remembering doing these things? The dark coloring seems to signify something/emotion not sure what though.

[@tenchraven]

Clearly seemed to be getting the notion. Look at how he was looking at his den, comparing it to the one the other guy was in. And the plants were just like his, only bigger. And the other guy wasn't responding. I would assume he'd recognize his own scars and markings, but that would be a big assumption. He might not be 100% sure what the other guy is, but I think he knows the other guy isn't a threat.

[@norellweiner3341]

Like the others said, it looked like he was imitating what he was seeing and possibly trying to play. No sign of aggression. Would be interesting to redo this in 2 ways. One with a film of another male and one with a film of a female to see if the reactions differ.

[@MCSilver]

Initial signs of agression, but the 'other' octo stayed light colored and did not react, so no apparent threat after that.

[@angeliner59]

In first instance he seemed to be scared and quickly retreated to his home! Maybe, because he was a lot bigger on the screen than in real life. But he quickly caught on that the other octopus was himself and began mimicking him. Great fun to watch!

[@lindaway5889]

Poor little guy! He was clearly doing what the "other" octopus did. It seemed like he wanted to play. Octopus: "What is your name? I would like to play with you, but I can't get out of here!!!" :-(

[@user-bu2vp7px2y]

He is like WOW WOW WOW HAHA I REMEMBER THIS ONE

[@carbolic_smokeball2162]

All I see in these videos is frustration at the glass barrier. It would be much more intersting tyo observe such reaction in a more "wild" setting, where the octopuses have the oportunity to flee, be distracted or show a much more 3 dimentional reaction than simply stretching themselves out on the glass. What's the biggest tank you have?

[@erinrooney6696]

Synchronized swimming octopus style. He reminds me of a toy my older son had called Ollie the Octopus. He was from the Stretch Armstrong family of toys. There was also Olivia Octopus, Ollie's girlfriend.

[@waryviewer488]

Wow! Thanks! By the way, the music you use is great, too!

[@maujaxa]

I assume you've already done the mirror test. What I'm thinking is that...you put a working camera in the tank where he can move it around..while also displaying the live feed next to his tank....and see if he can eventually (probably take several hours) figure out how the camera and display screen work together.

[@stephaniewhitehead2881]

It seems obvious to me that he does recognize himself. Otherwise, wouldn't he try to fight the perceived "intruder." And, he is also not only mimicking the movement of the octopus in the video, but also the position.

[@lauriedmills7581]

Agreed - highly interesting.

[@immortaltuna]

It would be funny if it was on a super big screen so he/she would see a giant octopus.

[@Locomaid]

What if those movements are choreographed, like a dance, and he recognized his own moves? And maybe himself. He has likely seen himself in reflection. Watch Netflix, My Octopus Teacher, watch the dance, playing with the fish.

[@nicholashamilton1898]

The octopuse was enjoying the video, and would gather information by observing and then it's Brain would process and realized that it was its own Reflection,

[@alienonion4636]

Always interesting.

[@juliechretien8192]

Fascinant ! 🙏👍

[@insanerikki]

Squee! So cute!

[@Aethgeir]

Do octopuses see the exact same visual light spectra that humans do? If not, the TV maybe immediately recognized as not real.

[@iya362]

UGHH SO CUTE

[@robinwaterson7850]

He's either thinking how the camera puts a few pounds on him or He's thinking about what a Handsome Devil He is !! 🤔

[@truthboom]

now show this video to the octopus.

[@pornstarlivesmatter3319]

I HOPE HE ISN'T LONELY....

[@jessemaclean2680]

What a cutie.

[@MagestormAllgoode]

What video settings and equipment are you using there?

[@man_on_wheelz]

It's an octopus playing with himself

[@empanadasfritas7142]

But he doesn't get the response he is waiting for and swims away.

[@LitteJeanie]

Maybe show him a close up of fingers playing simple guitar (single notes) show him the video for a week or two, then give him another guitar to play with.

[@ThePrufessa]

should've shown video of himself climbing into his home while his home is right there next to him empty. Because his initial reaction was to go see if anyone was in there.

[@user-vn7ce5ig1z]

Wow, I've got _so many_ questions about this. 🤔

[@ellanlezcano6922]

A mate, possibly?

[@seagoat6591]

He’s probably thinking how pretty he is lol

[@womanofsubstance8735]

I think he was not at all happy with the image in the video, as he quickly turned dark color. Was that because of the "intruder" or because the image of the "intruder" was so much larger than himself? Would his reaction be different if the image was the same size or smaller than himself? Is it fatiguing for him to stay dark color for a long time? Do octopuses do any kind of sound/vibration communication that we cannot hear?

[@eschwarz1003]

dont you need a mirror stage so he can get to know himself first?

[@ld8495]

You mean octopus imitates himself 😁

[@fromfuturespast]

1:52 he mimics the video

[@Aerospaceman]

Can most octopuses use skin pigmentation for camouflage and how would they react towards a chameleon?

[@Willow76ny]

Does he know it’s him, or does he think it’s a rival octopus?

[@flavioherrera3792]

Maybe he is just mimicking himself.

[@SerPapus]

Why don’t we make a human device interface for these octupi? Some sore suit they can get in and pretend to be human. Like I’m sure they’ll be able to actually do it.

[@lorikarns3085]

Can we find out what the scientists hypothesized?

[@blurglide]

Put a mirror in the tank

[@flowersinherhair]

😞 Is he lonely?

[@keatonblackman472]

He Will Know it's Himself

[@analeigholdeworlde4178]

I wonder what his darker color change means?