Cosette Copenhaver

An octopus may not see you as just another giant creature looming outside its tank. It may actually remember who you are. Scientists have found that octopuses can learn to tell individual people apart and change their behavior depending on their past experiences with them. In one experiment, eight giant Pacific octopuses were introduced to two different people over a period of two weeks. One person regularly brought them food. The other repeatedly annoyed them with a bristly stick. The octopuses eventually began responding differently to each person. Their bodies changed color and pattern, their arms were directed differently, and even the position of their siphon—the tube they use to push water and move around—changed. In some of the larger octopuses, researchers also noticed differences in breathing depending on which person approached. And their ability to recognize individuals may not be limited to humans. Other experiments suggest octopuses can distinguish familiar octopuses from unfamiliar ones and remember individuals they have encountered before. What makes this even more fascinating is their evolutionary history. Octopuses and humans are separated by hundreds of millions of years of evolution, yet these animals independently developed impressive abilities for learning, memory and problem-solving. So the next time an octopus appears to stare at its keeper, there may be more happening behind those strange, intelligent eyes than we realize. To an octopus, you might not simply be “a human.” You might be a particular individual—with a history attached to you. Sources: Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science; PLOS ONE