Marine biologists study how octopuses navigate tight openings

Researchers have conducted a study to understand how octopuses manage to squeeze through openings significantly smaller than their body diameter. Led by marine biologist Wenci Xin from the National University of Singapore, the study focused on Mayan octopuses (Octopus maya) and young common octopuses (Octopus vulgaris).

Previously, scientists believed the width of the octopus's stiff cartilaginous cranial case, which protects the central nervous system, dictated the minimum size of an opening they could pass through. To test this, the team used the distance between the specimens' eyes to approximate the width of the cartilage sheath.

Using customized aquarium boxes with varying hole sizes, the researchers observed that octopuses do not use a single, uniform method for all situations. When encountering larger holes, the animals typically probe the opening with their arms before passing limbs through to assist the rest of the body.