ǧ����Ƶ

A study on octopus sensory biology led by MBL scientists and Roger Hanlon has received the from the Journal of Comparative Physiology.

Using “an ingenious behavioral assay,” the editors wrote, showed that octopuses can detect prey solely based on contact chemosensing (tasting).

“While under natural conditions, a combination of mechanical and chemical cues, and perhaps even a dermal light sense, likely contributes to prey identification, this investigation highlights the importance of contact chemoreception for prey detection,” the editors wrote.

“The study, therefore, impressively illustrates the different sensory world of octopuses as compared to the one we perceive in our daily life.”

Co-authors of the study include five Northeastern University students who were on co-op (interning) at the ǧ����Ƶ.

This work was funded by the Office of Naval Research.

��

Citation:

K.C. Buresch, K. Sklar, J.Y. Chen, S.R. Madden, A.S. Mongil, G.V. Wise, J.G Boal & R.T. Hanlon (2022) Contact chemoreception in multi-modal sensing of prey by Octopus. J. Comp. Physiol. A,