Ethological studies of the Veined Octopus <i>Amphioctopus marinates</i> (Taki) (Cephalopoda: Octopodidae) in captivity, Kerala, India

• Main Authors: V. Sreeja, A. Bijukumar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wildlife Information Liaison Development Society 2013-06-01
• Series: Journal of Threatened Taxa
• Online Access: http://threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/article/view/893

Five Veined Octopus Amphioctopus marginatus (Taki), collected from Vizhinjam Bay in the Thiruvananthapuram District of Kerala, India were kept in aquariums to study their behaviour in captivity. Primary and secondary defence mechanisms studied included crypsis, hiding and escape behaviour. Deimatic behaviour was used by captive animals when camouflage failed and they were threatened. Crawling behaviour to escape from the aquarium was observed in all specimens. Stilt walking and bi-pedal locomotion were also observed. As a defence behaviour, A. marginatus used aquarium rocks to protect the soft underside of their bodies. A. marginatus demonstrated tool use of coconut shells to make protective shelters, carrying the shells for future use. A female specimen also selected a coconut shell for egg laying and performed parental care by continuously cleaning and aerating her eggs with her arms and by squirting jets of water over the eggs.