Common Octopus Reacts to Different Colors

When you look at an octopus, what is the first thing that you notice?

Okay, some of you will say their big bulbous head. Others well mention the eight arms that are their signature feature. Others will mention their eyes.

When you look closely and carefully at an octopus, its eyes are very captivating. Some people might even say they are hypnotic.

In this Octolab observational experiment video, we get to spend some time observing our friend, Cliff.

Cliff is an octopus vulgaris and is one of the most curious octopuses in our team.

The purpose of this experiment was to determine how octopuses react to different colors. To accomplish this, one of the handlers dangled differently colored pieces of cloth inside the tank in close proximity to Cliff.

A Little Back Story

Before you watch the video you should be aware that the topic of octopus vision is one of the most interesting aspects of the study of octopuses.

For a while, there were theories that octopuses were color-blind. These conclusions were primarily driven by the differences in the way that photoreceptive cells are arranged in the eyes of octopuses compared to the eyes of vertebrates. That was hardly a fair or effective way to arrive at such conclusions.

Fortunately, in recent years the study of octopus vision has advanced. Even though it is still inconclusive, it is now believed that octopuses are able to process color differences. There is even a theory which claims that an octopus’ color perception is managed not only by its eyes but also by photoreceptor cells on its skin. All of that, of course, is a topic for another day.

This video is about Cliff and how he reacts to different colors.

The Experiment

In the opening scene, you see Cliff close to the surface of the tank among a multitude of differently colored cloths. Arranged in such a fashion Cliff does not seem to demonstrate any preference for any giving cloth.

In the subsequent scenes, Cliff is presented to each color individually. The first cloth is orange followed by green, purple, yellow, green a second time, blue, red, and finally black.

Place Your Bets

Before watching the full video, which color do you think Cliff will be attracted to the most? If you are with a group of friends, make a friendly wager. The losers can buy the winner an ice-cold soda and some chili fries.

Spoiler Alert — The Results

In watching the full video you will notice that Cliff reacts rapidly and aggressively to the orange cloth. It is difficult to identify if he does so out of aggression or out of a genuine appeal for the color orange.

Cliff seems to shy away and recoil from the green cloth. That is why it was tested twice.

Purple and red brought about a reasonable amount of interest from Cliff, followed by blue. He appears to be almost indifferent to the color yellow.

When the black cloth was presented to Cliff he reacted as if he had detected the shadow of a potential predator. Slowly, however, he realized that it was not a shadow and then appeared to make peace with the black cloth.

There will be many more octopus vision experiments from Octolab. Stay tuned so you can see for yourself what an octopus sees in the sea. (Yes, that was a marine pun… we apologize.)