Octopuses may have more complex social interactions than previously believed, a new study has found.
Biologists studied a group of Sydney octopuses off Australia's east coast and observed a range of behaviour that may indicate complex social signalling.
Octopuses that stand tall, turn dark and spread their web in a "Nosferatu pose" are likely showing aggression.
Conversely, octopuses may display a pale colour after losing a fight or when trying to avoid conflict.
It was previously believed that octopuses were largely solitary creatures. Changes to body colour and other behaviour were interpreted as tactics to avoid predators.
But Prof Peter Godfrey-Smith from the City University of New York, US, said the study provided a novel perspective on octopus behaviour.
It is based on 53 hours of footage and appears in the journal Current Biology,
Cephalopod communication
"[An aggressive] octopus will turn very dark, stand in a way that accentuates its size and it will often seek to stand on a higher spot," Prof Godfrey-Smith, who co-authored the report, told the BBC.-read more and see video-http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-australia-35426361
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