14 Surprising Things Scientists Are Learning About Octopus Intelligence

2. Tool Use and Manufacturing: The Underwater Engineers

The discovery of sophisticated tool use among octopuses has revolutionized our understanding of invertebrate intelligence and challenged the long-held belief that tool use was primarily a vertebrate trait. Researchers have documented numerous instances of octopuses not only using tools but actually manufacturing them for specific purposes. In the waters off Australia, veined octopuses have been observed collecting coconut shells, cleaning them meticulously, and then carrying them across the ocean floor to construct portable shelters—a behavior that requires planning, foresight, and understanding of future needs. Even more remarkably, some species have been seen modifying these shells by breaking off pieces to create better-fitting components, demonstrating an understanding of tool modification that rivals that of many primates. Laboratory studies have revealed that octopuses can learn to use unfamiliar tools within minutes, adapting their techniques based on the specific properties of different materials. They've been observed using rocks as hammers, shells as shields, and even plastic bottles as mobile homes. This tool-making ability suggests that octopuses possess not only the motor skills necessary for manipulation but also the cognitive capacity for planning, problem-solving, and understanding cause-and-effect relationships that were once thought to be uniquely associated with higher vertebrates.