New study shows female octopuses ‘throw’ objects at males when harassed, netizens go overboard with memes

In a new study, researchers have come across an interesting behavioural aspect of the eight-limbed creatures which indicate that they pelt males, who approach them in an attempt to mate, with shells and debris. The preprint research paper, titled ‘In the Line of Fire: Debris Throwing by Wild Octopuses’, studied the various throws the sea creature resorted to.

The researchers underlined that throwing objects “is an uncommon behavior in animals” and has “sometimes been seen as distinctively human”. However, while closely observing wild octopuses off the eastern coast of Australia they found the behaviour to be pretty common.

They noted that the sea creatures “frequently propel shells, silt, and algae through the water by releasing these materials from their arms while creating a forceful jet from the siphon held under the arm web.” Some of the throws appeared to have fixed targets of the same species and “were significantly more vigorous”.

Initially the experts, who first observed the behaviour in 2015, wanted to find out if such acts were accidental. New findings have helped them confirm that it is deliberate indeed. Now, netizens can’t stop sharing relatable jokes, GIFs and memes to sum up their feelings.

“HOW IS IT HARASSING?! I JUST SAID SHE SHOULD SMILE MORE!”

-Male Octopus Rights Advocate from his mom’s part of the ocean pic.twitter.com/vJOw003kbx

— Anthony Giffen (@AnthonyGiffen) September 16, 2021

Female 🐙 when a male comes near them pic.twitter.com/KTiqQauONO

— swooshcloud (@swooshcloud) September 16, 2021

female octopi when a male comes near: pic.twitter.com/aUngf2GKNb

— idraxigy (@iDraxigy) September 16, 2021

The female octopus: pic.twitter.com/oj5MZKux6p

— R.W. Mendez (@FilmArchitect01) September 16, 2021

Yeah, that sisterhood is cross-species pic.twitter.com/g1jYw51n11

— SheisLaurence (@sheislaurence) September 16, 2021

It would be stressful, yes. But when Mr. Octopus gets caught cheating, the Mrs. can be lying in wait for him to come home with eight different weapons in hand

— Lindsay🧁 (@LindsayLouWho15) September 16, 2021

My spirit animals. The octopus and the dragonfly. One hurls dirt at annoying males and the other plays dead to avoid unwanted male attention! #octopus #dragonfly

— 🤙🏼DUNCAN🥂 (@duncanshandle) September 16, 2021

I hope she knocked some sense into him. You go girl!🐙 pic.twitter.com/fISYa6rhQI

— Jane Obi (@JaneObiObi) September 16, 2021

Please tell me there’s video of this and we can look forward to a documentary with Viola Davis narrating. Please!!!

— Dudette is Vaxxed & Masked 😷💛🐝 (@Dudette9t9) September 16, 2021

Hmm. So you thought eveteasing prevails only among humans 🤔 🙄

— prabir ghosh (@prabirghosh6) September 16, 2021

Don’t come for me unless I call for you!!! Bahahahahaha!!! pic.twitter.com/c8R4cA12u3

— NCresistsGOP (@pyrmomma) September 16, 2021

Huh. Octopus news. Glad to see harassment is not tolerated in the animal… sea animal Kingdom either. pic.twitter.com/IFCMIfvc27

— Cynical Archivist (@CallidusDominus) September 16, 2021

pic.twitter.com/13GS7TKwrz

— HopeNeverFails (@Happy2Bake) September 16, 2021

Lol get em girl pic.twitter.com/z1hT3gui7L

— Tᙓᗩᙏ SOᒪᗩS (@YNaut_LeeSin2Me) September 16, 2021

In the paper published on bioRxiv, researchers said in such attacks, the octopuses “more often used silt, rather than shells or algae.” The high-vigour throws were significantly more often accompanied by uniform or dark body patterns, they ruled. “Some throws were directed differently from beneath the arms and such throws were significantly more likely to hit other octopuses. Throws targeted at other individuals in the same population, as these appear to be, are the least common form of nonhuman throwing.”

For the study, researchers captured the animal’s behaviour on camera multiple times over the years. In one example captured in 2016, a female octopus was seen throwing silt at a male who was attempting to mate with her. “She threw silt at him ten times, hitting him on five of those attempts. The male occasionally tried to dodge the sentiment but was only successful around half of the time,” Newsweek said in a report.

“That sequence was one of the ones that convinced me [it was intentional],” one of the researchers, Peter Godfrey-Smith told New Scientist. Explaining how it is different from removing obstacles while building a nest, he said that the throws used during “den-building were almost always shot between the front two tentacles”. However, when trying to throw it at a specific target, the octopuses sometimes angled the throw between the first and second tentacles on the left or right. “That suggests a kind of targeting,” says Godfrey-Smith.

Herald Sun reported that while the males sometimes did “raise their tentacles up in defense”, they however, “didn’t retaliate”. The report also added that the throws didn’t trigger any fights.