But the bright blue coloring says as boldly as it can: don't touch, I'm toxic. Blue-ringed octopuses can kill humans by biting and injecting venom. They bite when they feel threatened, and since we're so much bigger than they are, humans are certainly threatening!
"The home-kept species often seem to enjoy a short petting session if they acclimate to humans," she said. "However, I try to note that petting may be more like a cat scratching an itch than any form of affection. On the other hand, they do know individuals and interact differently with different people."
Octopuses feel slightly squishy, but also quite strong and muscley. They also feel velvety and slippery at the same time.
Octopuses are playful, resourceful, and inquisitive. Some species cuddle with one another, while others have been known to bond with humans.
The bite of the Giant Pacific Octopus will not only hurt, but it will also inject venom into its target (although this venom is not fatal).
In terms of toxicity, octopuses do not pose so much of a threat to humans. Some octopuses may be poisonous, but only a handful cause actual danger to humans. Out of the 300 species of octopuses in different oceans around the world, only four species of blue-ringed octopus pose a real threat to humans.
Her camera captured the curious cephalopod drawing closer and closer, its tentacles widening until it fully embraced her. “It was just crawling on my camera, crawling on my lips, giving me a hug. These huge tentacles were up over my face and mask,” Humphreys said.
However, research on mammals, fish, octopuses, and to a lesser extent crabs, has shown they avoid pain and dangerous locations, and there are signs of empathy in some animals, such as cows -- they become distressed when they see their calf is in pain.
Octopuses may also have a sense of self, rudimentary manifestations of which include awareness of one's own physical boundaries that demarcate one from the external world (see also Merker (2005), Godfrey-Smith (2013)), and the capacity to distinguish between oneself and another organism.
Octopuses are curious creatures and generally not aggressive toward people. But they will defend themselves if provoked and are capable of causing serious injury — as Bisceglia found out the hard way. "Wild animals are unpredictable and should be respected," Trautwein said.
Under aggression, an octopus will change its color to a darker one to scare away lighter-colored animals while it also attempts to increase its body size by standing taller off the ground to scare off smaller animals. Such behavior is meant to intimidate threats and scare off other animals to preserve life.
"Don't call these arms, pal, or I'll squirt you with water." Octopuses can recognize people they interact with and treat them with affection or anger.
Ability to recognise people (and pick on them!)
Jon adds, 'Octopuses appear to be able to recognise individuals outside of their own species, including human faces. It's not unique behaviour - some mammals and crows can do it too - but it is rather unusual.'
Octopuses can remember humans, says Josh Rothman at the Boston Globe, and "have particular human friends and nemeses." The animals recognize their own names when called out, crawling affectionately towards caretakers they like. If an octopus isn't enamored of you, he'll squirt water at you when you call.
Octopuses need some live food for enrichment and nutrition, but most also accept frozen shrimp and a few other foods. The staple for octopus diets is often thawed frozen shrimp, supplemented with live crabs. Octopus-keepers living along the coast have an advantage because they have easier access to foods.
In both laboratory and ocean settings, the octopus is known to recognize faces. Vision is well developed in this species as various visual discriminations are readily learned, and in this the abilities of the octopus are comparable with those of vertebrates (Nixon 2003).
Unlike dogs or humans, octopuses do not cry out when they are in pain. In fact, if you really think about it, octopuses are pretty foreign creatures compared to humans: We have two arms and two legs, while an octopus has eight limbs!
Scientists are unveiling a rare octopus that has never been on public display before. And unlike other octopuses, where females have a nasty habit of eating their partners during sex, Larger Pacific Striped Octopuses mate by pressing their beaks and suckers against each other in an intimate embrace.
This study has found that octopuses, one of the most intelligent sea creatures, throw punches at other fish. New research has revealed that octopuses often throw punches when they're hunting alongside other fish.
Octopus suckers are powerful and can grasp onto just about any type of surface—smooth or bumpy, rigid or supple. In fact, note the researchers in their paper, "the hundreds of suckers along each arm have a tendency to stick to almost any object they contact." Which could make for a very sticky situation.
The friendliest.
The bimac octopus is short for its scientific name "Octopus bimaculoides", also known as the California two-spot octopus. They have a reputation as being one of the most tolerant, friendliest and intelligent species, which has led to an increase of them being kept as pets.
Once thought to be only the realm of the blue-ringed octopus, researchers have now shown that all octopuses and cuttlefish, and some squid are venomous.