Octopus seen walking on two legs like a human (includes video)

KATU -2 News (Oregon) / AP ^ | March 25, 2005 | RANDOLPH E. SCHMID

[Stoat]

Octopus seen walking on two legs like a human

VIDEO

By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - Octopuses, known for using camouflage to avoid predators, have been observed apparently trying to sneak away by walking on two arms while pretending to be a bunch of algae.

Two kinds of octopus were seen to use different ways of walking along the sea floor, researchers were reporting in Friday's issue of the journal Science.

The movements were discovered by Christine L. Huffard of the University of California, Berkeley, who was studying underwater video camera tapes of the animals.

Berkeley professor Robert J. Full said Huffard was studying octopus movement as part of a robotics project. He said the researchers use examples from nature in designing robots; one project is to build a soft robot.

Octopuses trying to avoid being eaten usually hold still to camouflage themselves. But by walking on two arms, these two types were able to move quickly while using their other arms to disguise themselves.

Two individuals of O. marginatus from Indonesia wrapped six arms around themselves, looking like a coconut on the sea floor. They ten used the two rear arms to move backward.

In Australia, O. aculeatus was seen raising two arms above its head before lifting four more and moving backward on the two remaining arms. The researchers described it as looking like "a clump of algae tiptoeing away."

The researchers believe the octopuses were trying to flee from predators, though they cannot be sure until they have seen more examples of the behavior.

The research was funded by the American Malacological Society and the National Science Foundation.

[Darkwolf377]

Bill Clinton is wishing he'd evolved directly from this octopus--"Damn, I could harass three or four women at once if I had all those arms!"

[Diana in Wisconsin]

No. No video on Hogzilla. Just a farm-raised hog that may have crossed with a wild boar and a single computer-altered photo, LOL! (The minions are so dumb.)

And my DH is SCUBA certified, too. I keep his life insurance policy up to date; I'd pay that before I pay the mortgage, LOL!

No, he WILL be eaten by something down there one day, and I will report it here in full. I stay in the tide pools with my snorkle; and I watch out for jellyfish and those spiney-things you can step on.

Just, Yuck! I have air-breathing lungs for a reason! ;)

http://urbanlegends.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://msnbc.msn.com/id/7264865/

[Stoat]

Thank you for the info on Hogzilla...quite impressive!  He probably wouldn't have made a good pet....those giant tusks would likely have punctured a tire if he decided to chase a car.  Considering how much he must have eaten every day, a pet wildebeest would likely have been less expensive to have.

I agree on the 'spiny things' (sea urchins)

some species are poisonous and there's a possibility of death of you are allergic and you have an anaphylactic shock reaction.  It's always best to be careful where you step! 

Usually only the Portuguese Man of War is the main jellyfish species to look out for

I'm glad that you're keeping your husband's life insurance up to date....I have no doubt that he appreciates your assistance in bookkeeping matters   :-)

I agree  that breathing air is always preferable to the alternative   :-)

[clee1]

The two most famous products of UC Berekley are BSD and LSD.

I think Ms. Christine L. Huffard was sampling some of the latter.

[clee1]

Don't forget the deadly "box" jellyfish.

[Stoat]

Don't forget the deadly "box" jellyfish.

Thank you, I stand corrected

[sportutegrl]

Squidward Tentacles

[Delta 21]

......as long as they dont have a mouthful of chompers like this!

This crocodile was on the beach in front of the Petroleum club, Plage Sportive In Pointe Noire, Republic of the Congo. 21 FT long, 4,500 lbs, around 80 years old minimum.

Specialists said that he was looking to eat humans because he was too old to catch animals. For the past few months in some villages close to Pointe Noire people were complaining that some people in their villages have been disappearing, and it could well be this crocodile that's responsible. This crocodile was killed by the army last Sunday at 3:00 pm, currently he is in the freezer at the Azur hotel. The contents of it's stomach will be analyzed this Friday at 2:30pm.

[Stoat]

Squidward Tentacles

Sorry, not being a regular consumer of Spongebob Squarepants, I had to look that one up  :-)

         

Squidward is a mean, whiny, stick-in-the-mud squid who thinks he's better than everyone else. Just about everything annoys him. The Krusty Krab annoys him. The customers annoy him. The boss annoys him. But most of all, SpongeBob annoys him--almost 24 hours a day. Besides working side by side with SpongeBob at the Krusty Krab, Squidward is SpongeBob's nextdoor neighbor. If it weren't for the fact that SpongeBob is the only one who likes listening to his clarinet playing, Squidward would have nothing to do with him. SpongeBob, on the other hand, thinks the two of them are the lunch shift dream team.

Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants

[Stoat]

Full Name: Squidward Tentacles Occupation: Cashier at the Krusty Krab About: His main hobby is playing his clarinet. He's terrible at it. He also spends a lot of time making art and doing interpretive dance. He thinks Spongebob and Patrick are very annoying. Quote: "How did I ever get surrounded by such loser neighbors." eps-2 View Squidward pics - Take a tour of Squidward's house

Squidward

[Stoat]

WOW! Impressive pictures! I would imaging that his dentist always had work  :-)

"....people were complaining that some people in their villages have been disappearing...."

You know, some folks are just never happy, no matter what you do.  Complain, complain, complain!

 

 

[BibChr]

So... humans evolved from octopi, today?

Dan

[theDentist]

Ah yes. He still owes me for filing those incisors... I guess I'll have to pass his debt along to others.

[devolve]

O  C  T  O  P  U  S  S  Y

  
  

Rita    Coolidge

[MeekOneGOP]

hehe! Here's one you might like:

http://www.nal.usda.gov/awic/images/octopus.gif

:)

[TheForceOfOne]

Does this mean we have to give it a green card?

[armymarinemom]

Is that Media Benjamin going for a walk? Hey, it is a slimy walking being that will suck the life out of others.

[Stoat]

Nice PussPic, thank you :-)

[MeekOneGOP]

You're welcomed. :)

[RightWingAtheist]