octopus climbs out of tank to eat goldfish video

[n o o d l z]

I was told today about a guy on RC who said his octopus climbed out of a tank, climbed up a dresser and into a goldfish tank and ate the goldfish. No one believed him but then he posted a video showing it (this was approx 3-4 years ago apparently). I've been looking for it but I can't find it, but I figure if it does indeed exist, you all would know about it. I know octopus are very intelligent and I wouldn't doubt that its true, but I'd love to see this video. Thanks

 

[OctoMonkey]

I've never see a video proving this theory but in the last 3 or 4 years i have heard it claimed about a dozen times by various people... if you can find this video it would settle plenty of arguments

 

[MarinaP]

I remember that thread! The owner used to be a mod on this forum. That was the most amazing story I have ever heard on RC. He just caught the O on video at night, never posted the movie here though as far as I know.

 

[ozadars]

the goldfish should be in freshwater, so wouldnt an octo die in freshwater before it tries to eat the goldfish?

 

[marinerules]

ive heardd this story from another forum as well , It could happen , considerign octos are really smart ,and can live out of water if still wet,


but i think its nothing more than a rumor

 

[n o o d l z]

Well, several people claimed to actually see this video...surprised that no one saved it though, its amazing if its true.

 

[OctoMonkey]

i think its a cephalopod urban myth

 

[VL]

The discovery channel made mention of this similar behavior during on of thier specials on Octos. The Ceph left it's continment tank, crossed the floor and up into another tank where they housed the crab for his food.

If I am not mistaken they had some sort of video on this, but it might have been a reenactment.

 

[scbauer]

If I am not mistaken they had some sort of video on this, but it might have been a reenactment.

How do you train an octopus to do a reenactment?

-Scott

 

[n o o d l z]

How do you train an octopus to do a reenactment?

-Scott

I guess if you pay them enough :spin2:

 

[OctoRock]

The discovery channel made mention of this similar behavior during on of thier specials on Octos. The Ceph left it's continment tank, crossed the floor and up into another tank where they housed the crab for his food.

If I am not mistaken they had some sort of video on this, but it might have been a reenactment.

I saw this on discovery channel. Definetly way cool watching the octo climb out .

 

[slylie]

I saw this on discovery channel. Definetly way cool watching the octo climb out .

so was it a re-enactment? did they use a stunt double or a real octo?

 

[OctoRock]

No re-enactment it was a real octo. The showed a video of a Ceph leaving it's continment tank, crossing the floor and up into another tank where they housed the crab for his food.


OctoRock

 

[slylie]

No re-enactment it was a real octo. The showed a video of a Ceph leaving it's continment tank, crossing the floor and up into another tank where they housed the crab for his food.


OctoRock

incredible. thanks for clearing that up

 

[cephalopoder]

The video "the octopus show" talked about the crab stealing octopus.
The video in the show was staged to my knowledge for the film.
The goldfish legend has been around for ever. I tend to think its more of a urban legend than any thing. I myself have never seen the video.
But one never knows it could be true. I am not sure how the octo would last any amount of time in a fresh water tank and then it would still need to catch the fish.
Some urban octo legends are true though. There was that one about a scientist chasing a escaped O.cyanea baby down the isles of a jumbo jet. That's actually true though because I know the good Dr. that happened too lol.
I did have one of my hatchling bimacs ride a ghost shrimp on its back across the tank like a rodeo star. Wouldn't you know it it was the only time I didn't have the video camera handy aaarrrr.

 

[XxMutedYouthxX]

I had never heard that story but I have heard of someones octopus climbing out of his tank to grab his car keys hanging on a keyring next to the tank and taking them back in the aquarium with him

 

[wombat2]

Well I can say for certain that they'll climb out of tanks and eat stuff out of nearby ones. I just had this happen last week with a female O. rubescens (see post titled "a pic of my hand") after I forgot to put the cinder block back on top of her tank. She lifted the eggcrate off, cruised to some nearby tanks (her tank is on a wet lab "table") and ate a few hermit crabs. Messed up somebody's study too

I sort of doubt the FW thing too, but if it was a small enough bowl the octo wouldn't even have to get in...it could just grab the fish with its arms.

 

[RonSF]

I had never heard that story but I have heard of someone's octopus climbing out of his tank to grab his car keys hanging on a keyring next to the tank and taking them back in the aquarium with him

That sounds like a good argument for getting LoJack on your car. That way, when the octopus drives off in your car you can track it down and recover the car. No letting him watch TV for a month after that kind of behavior . . .
-Ron
PS: My vision is of the octo "fishing" for the goldfish from outside the tank/bowl. Not unlike a story from my koi dealer, who caught a raccoon baiting the koi to get them over to the shallow area of his backyard pond so they would be easier to catch. He was using koi food from a bin with a flip up lid. The raccoon simply helped himself to the bait in the middle of the night.

 

[teevee]

Back in 1973, Jacques Cousteau and his collaborator Philippe Diole wrote "Octopus and Squid: the Soft Intelligence". If you have questions about the cognitive abilities of octopuses, you may want to find the book.

 

[ReefMagic]

I saw that special on Octopus' on the discovery channel, it was awesome! They showed the octopus leave the tank eat some crabs in another tank and go back to his original tank. Such smart animals it's kinda scary.