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(Homeland) - This also marks the first time scientists have witnessed this action in marine organisms.
In a 24-hour footage recorded off the coast of Australia in 2015 and 2016 using underwater cameras, researchers documented 102 cases of gloomy octopuses (Octopus tetricus) hurling everything from debris to fragments at other octopuses.
'Wild octopuses discharge various materials in the form of 'throws' using jet propulsion, and these throws sometimes hit other octopuses,' Peter Godfrey-Smith and colleagues at the University of Sydney shared in a recent study published in the journal Plos One.
This is also the first time scientists have witnessed underwater creatures hurling objects at each other. In a clip, one can observe a female octopus flinging some shell fragments after having shredded what's inside.
'There is some evidence to suggest that some throws hit the target and this behavior plays a social role,' the report further notes.
Ironically, octopuses don't throw objects using any of their eight default arms (suckers). Instead, they collect the material they want to throw and then propel it through the water using a siphon. This is a part that enables them to expel water at high speed, also how they release ink and waste, or move through water. So, fundamentally, this action is more akin to underwater shooting than mere throwing.
Researchers also discovered that about 2/3 of the throws come from females. And this is often linked to interactions with other octopuses wanting to approach or attempting to mate with it.
Octopuses can sometimes change their skin color, with darker hues often associated with aggression. Researchers observed that dark-colored octopuses tend to throw with more force, and the throws are more likely to hit another octopus. However, only about 17% of observed throws actually hit other octopuses.
Researchers suggest further study is needed to try and distinguish the intention behind this peculiar aquatic behavior, but it seems octopuses may target other individuals with self-propelled projectiles, a phenomenon seen in a few other species besides humans.
However, the new discovery isn't overly surprising. Through various experiments, scientists have concluded that octopuses are indeed the most intelligent creatures on the ocean floor.
References: Cnet, Plos One
