Tool-Using Octopus Caught on Film – Video of Veined Octopus Building Coconut Shell House

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In an incredible display of just how smart the octopus is – and how they are capable of forethought – Dr. Julian Finn of Museum Victoria in Australia has caught on film a veined octopus transporting coconut shells for the express purpose of building a shelter (and then doing so).

Says Dr. Finn, of the moment when he realized that he had evidence of an invertebrate using tools, “I was gobsmacked. I mean, I’ve seen a lot of octopuses hiding in shells, but I’ve never seen one that grabs it up and jogs across the sea floor. I was trying hard not to laugh.”

Here is the video of the veined octopus carrying the coconut shells and using them to create a shelter: