News of the day: Sleeping Octopuses May Have Dreams, But They're Probably Brief

[ElNono]

Sleeping Octopuses May Have Dreams, But They're Probably Brief

According to a report (https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(21)00191-7) in the journal iScience, octopuses may have short dreams (https://www.npr.org/2021/03/25/980944495/sleeping-octopuses-may-have-dreams-but-theyre-probably-brief) during their alternating periods of sleep. NPR reports: [Sidarta Ribeiro, a neuroscientist at the Brain Institute at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte in Brazil] and some colleagues decided to video-record four adult octopuses in the lab to monitor their sleep. And to make sure the animals were genuinely sleeping, the researchers checked to see if they would respond to a video of a swimming crab, a favorite food item, or to a vibration made by a hammer tapping on the tank. The octopuses remained indifferent and difficult to arouse while sleeping, instead of reacting as they normally would when awake. The scientists found that the octopuses had periods of quiet sleep, when they were pale and still, followed by short bursts of active sleep. This cycle repeated every 30 to 40 minutes. The active sleep periods were brief but obvious; the octopuses' skin darkened and their bodies and suckers contracted.

"For around 40 seconds, they dramatically change their color and their skin texture. Their eyes are also moving," says Sylvia Medeiros, a graduate student at the Brain Institute of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte. "All of this happens very conspicuously." Their dreams, if they have them, can't be terribly complex or symbolic, given how short these active phases are, says Medeiros. Octopuses are known to be problem solvers, however, so maybe dreams help their impressive, unusual brains consolidate memories and improve on tasks.

---

Now that Biden is President, we can go back to discussing really important, interesting news, tbh...

[pgardn]

And people say invertebrates are stupid...

NPR science Fridays used to have a squid and octopus sequence that was absolutely amazing.
The ability of these creatures to problem solve is otherworldly. And the actual experiments to prove their abilities are some of the most creative.
The basic thought for the octopi is they are very vulnerable predators that have to be extremely sneaky. Predators on the whole have to be much more creative, but the vulnerability of having to hide in rock and coral formations appears to have taken it up a notch.

All hail the mollusks who are also cephalopods.

Love this stuff.

And I will now relate a story:

Whilst fishing on the North Jetty in Port Aransas Texas, I personally witnessed ye fairly large red-brownish octopus climb out of the water on the rocks on the surfside of the jetty, slither all the way across the jetty to the channel side, and re enter the water. No witnesses or phone camera, I was all business with the fishing. Even while crying out for observers to come hither.

I then explained this to a number of fisherman who asked what the fuss was about and was thereby considered a heretic and sentenced to death. My last request involved going to the Aquarium in Corpus Christi Texas which involved a scholarly conversation with the good biologists that set up the octopus tank. The top of the tank, I found out, was securely sealed shut. Why? The frkn beasts would push the top of their tank open, climb onto the lattice work of wood planks that allowed all the tanks to be serviced, find the blue crab tank, get in and feast! They were found in the tank with a trail of slime leading back to their tank. I was dumbstruck. How in Thor's world did they find the crab tanks, not once, but dozens of times? Did they accidentally take a dip into the tank with sharks and rays? NO.

I was saved from persecution and execution by the good people that went bust at that aquarium.
I will take this to my deathbed and write a sea shanty concerning the event.

[SnakeBoy]

Why did the octopus cross the jetty?

[ElNono]

Why did the octopus cross the jetty?

To get to the other tide!

[SnakeBoy]

To get to the other tide!

:lol

[DMC]

:lol

Did you read about the weather in Mexico today?

[DMC]

Caught a small octopus in a castnet once. Tried the put the little fucker in a 5 gallon bucket but he wasn't having it. That little bastard came out and over the side he went in a second. Getting him off my arm from the cast net wasn't easy either, took two people.

[pgardn]

To follow up on octopi not being so nice.

https://apple.news/AFY1P0WO_QueJBRzkNiMvsQ

[pgardn]

Caught a small octopus in a castnet once. Tried the put the little fucker in a 5 gallon bucket but he wasn't having it. That little bastard came out and over the side he went in a second. Getting him off my arm from the cast net wasn't easy either, took two people.

My brother and I caught octopi with live sardines near the bottom ofF Santa Barbara.
We then use them as bait for lingcod which we promptly caught.

They inked us and were most difficult to pull off the side of the smooth bait well.
When they tense their muscles up they are like a slippery rock.

But they were great as bait; we tried to catch more using the sardine technique, but it did not work. I must admit I felt guilty about hooking them. But after I experienced how well they could attach themselves to my hand, I shook it off like an experienced predator.

[SpursforSix]

And people say invertebrates are stupid...

NPR science Fridays used to have a squid and octopus sequence that was absolutely amazing.
The ability of these creatures to problem solve is otherworldly. And the actual experiments to prove their abilities are some of the most creative.
The basic thought for the octopi is they are very vulnerable predators that have to be extremely sneaky. Predators on the whole have to be much more creative, but the vulnerability of having to hide in rock and coral formations appears to have taken it up a notch.

All hail the mollusks who are also cephalopods.

Love this stuff.

And I will now relate a story:

Whilst fishing on the North Jetty in Port Aransas Texas, I personally witnessed ye fairly large red-brownish octopus climb out of the water on the rocks on the surfside of the jetty, slither all the way across the jetty to the channel side, and re enter the water. No witnesses or phone camera, I was all business with the fishing. Even while crying out for observers to come hither.

I then explained this to a number of fisherman who asked what the fuss was about and was thereby considered a heretic and sentenced to death. My last request involved going to the Aquarium in Corpus Christi Texas which involved a scholarly conversation with the good biologists that set up the octopus tank. The top of the tank, I found out, was securely sealed shut. Why? The frkn beasts would push the top of their tank open, climb onto the lattice work of wood planks that allowed all the tanks to be serviced, find the blue crab tank, get in and feast! They were found in the tank with a trail of slime leading back to their tank. I was dumbstruck. How in Thor's world did they find the crab tanks, not once, but dozens of times? Did they accidentally take a dip into the tank with sharks and rays? NO.

I was saved from persecution and execution by the good people that went bust at that aquarium.
I will take this to my deathbed and write a sea shanty concerning the event.

Yep. Reminds me of a crazy experience I had involving invertebrates. We were down in Port Aransas and walking along the beach just to enjoy the tide and decent weather. We had flashlights and would let our kids take them and chase the tiny crabs running around. We wouldn't let them catch the crabs but it was just kind of fun watching how excited they (the kids) were. After 20 minutes or so, we started to head back and were walking under a pier that connected a restaurant to the beach. The kids were already fifty or sixty yards ahead of us. Under the pier, I caught some movement up where the pier meets the beach. I walked over and there was this naked dude having sex with a dog. I'm assuming he was drunk. He saw me and was obviously embarrassed. He looked at the dog and then at me, then shrugged his shoulders, and said, "I think I ate some bad clams".

[Winehole23]

https://media1.giphy.com/media/R7m04yMaGWVeE/giphy.gif

[Millennial_Messiah]

Save the great pacific northwest tree octopus!

[pgardn]

Yep. Reminds me of a crazy experience I had involving invertebrates. We were down in Port Aransas and walking along the beach just to enjoy the tide and decent weather. We had flashlights and would let our kids take them and chase the tiny crabs running around. We wouldn't let them catch the crabs but it was just kind of fun watching how excited they (the kids) were. After 20 minutes or so, we started to head back and were walking under a pier that connected a restaurant to the beach. The kids were already fifty or sixty yards ahead of us. Under the pier, I caught some movement up where the pier meets the beach. I walked over and there was this naked dude having sex with a dog. I'm assuming he was drunk. He saw me and was obviously embarrassed. He looked at the dog and then at me, then shrugged his shoulders, and said, "I think I ate some bad clams".

on the beach chasing crabs is a blast.

Finding bums who have eaten hallucinogenic mollusks was a big bonus for that night.

[DMC]

A - "catch the crabs"
B- Man fucking dog

C- pgardn thinks it's real and looks to teach the science behind it

Only on ST

[pgardn]

A - "catch the crabs"
B- Man fucking dog

C- pgardn thinks it's real and looks to teach the science behind it

Only on ST

He obviously knows the play with catching crabs on the beach with a FLASHLIGHT at sundown or at night. Why dont you ask him how he meant this.
I cant help it if your old corpse is not around people on the beach, this happens on beaches across the gulf coast.
He then parlays with another "I spilled syrup in the aisle at HEB" play with the bum. I like his bizarre scenarios. If you really think I seriously analyzed the guy on the beach with the dog... well, you are doing you so I cant say Im surprised.

I play along because one really does happen and the other does not so DMC again attempts to read my mind because, science butthurt.
And fails.

btw SF6 has the kind of humor I like cept he went too far with his obsessions with how people poop... for me at least.

[DMC]

He obviously knows the play with catching crabs on the beach with a FLASHLIGHT at sundown or at night. Why dont you ask him how he meant this.
I cant help it if your old corpse is not around people on the beach, this happens on beaches across the gulf coast.
He then parlays with another "I spilled syrup in the aisle at HEB" play with the bum. I like his bizarre scenarios. If you really think I seriously analyzed the guy on the beach with the dog... well, you are doing you so I cant say Im surprised.

I play along because one really does happen and the other does not so DMC again attempts to read my mind because, science butthurt.
And fails.

btw SF6 has the kind of humor I like cept he went too far with his obsessions with how people poop... for me at least.

SF6 insulates himself quite well.

[SpursforSix]

He obviously knows the play with catching crabs on the beach with a FLASHLIGHT at sundown or at night. Why dont you ask him how he meant this.
I cant help it if your old corpse is not around people on the beach, this happens on beaches across the gulf coast.
He then parlays with another "I spilled syrup in the aisle at HEB" play with the bum. I like his bizarre scenarios. If you really think I seriously analyzed the guy on the beach with the dog... well, you are doing you so I cant say Im surprised.

I play along because one really does happen and the other does not so DMC again attempts to read my mind because, science butthurt.
And fails.

btw SF6 has the kind of humor I like cept he went too far with his obsessions with how people poop... for me at least.

I mean...chasing crabs on the beach with your kids is fun. Presumably with a few beers and either a good seafood meal eaten or one to come. But that’s not a great story. Seeing a naked man fuck a dog without having to Google it...now that’s a tale.