Octopuses and their family are a brand new animal welfare frontier

We named him Squirt – not as a result of he was the smallest of the 16 cuttlefish within the pool, however as a result of anybody with the audacity to scoop him right into a separate tank to check him was prone to get soaked. Squirt had notoriously correct goal.
As a comparative psychologist, I’m used to assaults from my experimental topics. I’ve been stung by bees, pinched by crayfish and battered by indignant pigeons. However, in some way, with Squirt it felt completely different. As he eyed us along with his W-shaped pupils, he appeared clearly to be plotting in opposition to us.
In fact, I’m being anthropomorphic. Science doesn’t but have the instruments to verify whether or not cuttlefish have emotional states, or whether or not they’re able to aware expertise, a lot much less sinister plots. However there’s undeniably one thing particular about cephalopods – the category of ocean-dwelling invertebrates that features cuttlefish, squid and octopus.
As researchers study extra about cehpalopods’ cognitive expertise, there are calls to deal with them in methods higher aligned with their degree of intelligence. California and Washington state each accepted bans on octopus farming in 2024. Hawaii is contemplating related motion, and a ban on farming octopus or importing farmed octopus meat has been launched in Congress. A deliberate octopus farm in Spain’s Canary Islands is attracting opposition from scientists and animal welfare advocates.
Critics provide many arguments in opposition to elevating octopuses for meals, together with doable releases of waste, antibiotics or pathogens from aquaculture services. However as a psychologist, I see intelligence as probably the most intriguing a part of the equation. Simply how sensible are cephalopods, actually? In spite of everything, it’s authorized to farm chickens and cows. Is an octopus smarter than, say, a turkey?
A giant, numerous group
A standard cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) in Portugal’s Arrábida Pure Park.
| Picture Credit score:
Diego Delso (CC BY-SA)
Cephalopods are a broad class of molluscs that features the coleoids – cuttlefish, octopus and squid – in addition to the chambered nautilus. Coleoids vary in dimension from grownup squid just a few millimetres lengthy (Idiosepius) to the most important dwelling invertebrates, the enormous squid (Architeuthis) and colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis), which might develop to over 40 ft in size and weigh over 450 kg.
A few of these species reside alone within the almost featureless darkness of the deep ocean; others reside socially on energetic, sunny coral reefs. Many are expert hunters, however some feed passively on floating particles. Due to this huge variety, the scale and complexity of cephalopod brains and behaviours additionally varies tremendously.
Virtually all the pieces that’s recognized about cephalopod cognition comes from intensive research of just some species. When contemplating the welfare of a chosen species of captive octopus, it’s vital to watch out about utilizing information collected from a distant evolutionary relative.
Can we measure alien intelligence?
Intelligence is fiendishly laborious to outline and measure, even in people. The problem grows exponentially in finding out animals with sensory, motivational and problem-solving expertise that differ profoundly from ours.
Traditionally, researchers have tended to give attention to whether or not animals assume like people, ignoring the talents that animals might have that people lack. To keep away from this downside, scientists have tried to seek out extra goal measures of cognitive skills.
One possibility is a relative measure of mind to physique dimension. The very best-studied species of octopus, Octopus vulgaris, has about 500 million neurons; that’s comparatively massive for its small physique dimension and much like a starling, rabbit or turkey.
Extra correct measures might embody the scale, neuron depend or floor space of particular mind buildings considered vital for studying. Whereas that is helpful in mammals, the nervous system of an octopus is constructed utterly in another way.
Over half of the neurons in Octopus vulgaris, about 300 million, should not within the mind in any respect, however distributed in “mini-brains,” or ganglia, within the arms. Inside the central mind, many of the remaining neurons are devoted to visible processing, leaving lower than 1 / 4 of its neurons for different processes resembling studying and reminiscence.
In different species of octopus, the overall construction is analogous, however complexity varies. Wrinkles and folds within the mind improve its floor space and will improve neural connections and communication. Some species of octopus, notably these dwelling in reef habitats, have extra wrinkled brains than these dwelling within the deep sea, suggesting that these species might possess the next diploma of intelligence.
Holding out for a greater snack

A deep-water octopus investigates the port manipulator arm of the ALVIN submersible analysis vessel.
| Picture Credit score:
US NOAA
As a result of mind construction will not be a fool-proof measure of intelligence, behavioural exams might present higher proof. One of many extremely advanced behaviours that many cephalopods present is visible camouflage. They’ll open and shut tiny sacs slightly below their pores and skin that include colored pigments and reflectors, revealing particular colors. Octopus vulgaris has as much as 150,000 chromatophores, or pigment sacs, in a single sq. inch of pores and skin.
Like many cephalopods, the frequent cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) is considered colour-blind. However it might probably use its wonderful imaginative and prescient to provide a dizzying array of patterns throughout its physique as camouflage. The Australian big cuttlefish, Sepia apama, makes use of its chromatophores to speak, creating patterns that entice mates and warn off aggressors. This potential can even turn out to be useful for searching; many cephalopods are ambush predators that mix into the background and even lure their prey.
The hallmark of clever behaviour, nonetheless, is studying and reminiscence – and there may be loads of proof that some octopuses and cuttlefish study in a method that’s similar to studying in vertebrates. The frequent cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis), in addition to the frequent octopus (Octopus vulgaris) and the day octopus (Octopus cyanea), can all kind easy associations, resembling studying which picture on a display predicts that meals will seem.
Some cephalopods could also be able to extra difficult types of studying, resembling reversal studying – studying to flexibly alter behaviour when completely different stimuli sign reward. They might additionally be capable to inhibit impulsive responses. In a 2021 research that gave frequent cuttlefish a alternative between a much less fascinating however quick snack of crab and a most popular deal with of reside shrimp after a delay, most of the cuttlefish selected to attend for the shrimp.
A brand new frontier for animal welfare
Contemplating what’s recognized about their mind buildings, sensory techniques and studying capability, it seems that cephalopods as a gaggle could also be related in intelligence to vertebrates as a gaggle. Since many societies have animal welfare requirements for mice, rats, chickens and different vertebrates, logic would recommend that there’s an equal case for laws imposing humane therapy of cephalopods.
Such guidelines usually specify that when a species is held in captivity, its housing situations ought to help the animal’s welfare and pure behaviour. This view has led some U.S. states to outlaw confined cages for egg-laying hens and crates too slim for pregnant sows to show round.
Animal welfare laws say little about invertebrates, however pointers for the care and use of captive cephalopods have began to seem over the previous decade. In 2010, the European Union required contemplating moral points when utilizing cephalopods for analysis. And in 2015, AAALAC Worldwide, a world accreditation organisation for moral animal analysis, and the Federation of European Laboratory Animal Science Associations promoted pointers for the care and use of cephalopods in analysis. The U.S. Nationwide Institutes of Well being is at the moment contemplating related pointers.
The “alien” minds of octopuses and their family are fascinating, not the least as a result of they supply a mirror by which we are able to mirror on extra acquainted types of intelligence. Deciding which species deserve ethical consideration requires deciding on standards, resembling neuron depend or studying capability, to tell these decisions.
As soon as these standards are set, it might be nicely to additionally think about how they apply to the rodents, birds and fish that occupy extra acquainted roles in our lives.
Rachel Blaser is professor of neuroscience, cognition and behavior, College of San Diego. This text is republished from The Dialog.
Printed – December 24, 2024 05:30 am IST