Day Octopuses Punch Fish in 100-Hour Study as Researchers Tie Blows to Partner Control
Updated
Updated · spacedaily.com · Aug 25
Day Octopuses Punch Fish in 100-Hour Study as Researchers Tie Blows to Partner Control
3 articles · Updated · spacedaily.com · Aug 25
Summary
More than 100 hours of footage from the Red Sea and Great Barrier Reef showed day octopuses striking fish during mixed-species hunts, with the 2024 study framing the blows as a way to control unhelpful partners.
Fish that loitered or crowded prey—especially groupers—were hit disproportionately, while active scouts such as blue goatfish were largely spared, supporting the idea that octopuses steer when and where the group moves.
That larger dataset builds on a 2021 paper that documented eight punches, including at least two with no clear food payoff, leaving open whether some strikes are punishment, low-cost control or even spite.
Researchers still disagree on the broader meaning: one view sees genuine cooperative hunting with role division, while critics argue the fish may simply be opportunists following a solitary predator.