Playing with "Steve" the octopus

[Youngster Dan]

Originally Posted by bignose

It's amazing how intelligent they are. Do they ever get aggressive?

Yeah, it leaves me in awe almost every day just how smart they are.

As far as aggressive, it's really hard to say. Our previous octopus was very eager and wouldn't let you go (especially if he got you with his big suckers). I interpret that as an aggressive behaviour, but it's really hard to say. Another aggressive behaviour the last octopus would do is siphon water at you (and you would get soaked!) - often if you play with him a couple times and don't give them food right away. He never tried to bite me or anything like that though. Octopuses are solitary animals from the day they are born, and have an emotional repertoire that is completely different from mammals or other vertebrates. So, it is really hard to say exactly what the motives are behind any given behaviour.

Steve is very passive as far as a GPO goes, the playing you see in the video is very typical. He kind of tastes you and lets you rub his forehead and mantle, and I have never felt uncomfortable with him and I haven't seen any "aggressiveness".

This in itself is interesting, because it shows just how different one GPO is from another and that they have different personalities.