Cephalopod intelligence

Cephalopod intelligence is the capacity of octopuses, cuttlefish, and squid to learn, remember, and solve problems flexibly, supported by nervous systems organized differently from those of vertebrates.

Cephalopod nervous system: The neural system of cephalopods, with a large central brain and extensive nerve networks in the arms. Its central and arm-based neural circuits provide the infrastructure for cephalopod learning and action.
Octopus tool use: The use of portable objects by octopuses to achieve a later protective or practical goal. Coconut-carrying octopuses provide a prominent example of behavior interpreted as prospective tool use.
Comparative cognition: The study of cognitive abilities across different animal species. Cephalopod intelligence is evaluated by comparing capacities across evolutionarily distant animals.
Vertebrate intelligence: Cognitive capacities found in animals with backbones, including learning, memory, and reasoning. Cephalopods show sophisticated cognition without the vertebrate brain architecture often associated with it.
Octopus arm: A flexible, muscular appendage with dense sensory and motor capabilities, capable of complex movements. Local sensory processing lets an octopus arm explore and manipulate objects without constant central control.
Coconut octopus: Amphioctopus marginatus, an octopus known for carrying coconut shells and other shelters. Its shell-carrying behavior illustrates planning-like action and flexible object use.
Animal learning: Changes in animal behavior or knowledge produced by experience. Controlled learning tasks distinguish acquired responses from innate behavior in cephalopods.
Insect cognition: Learning, memory, and decision-making abilities demonstrated by insects. Insects offer another example of complex behavior arising from nervous systems unlike vertebrate brains.
Learning: A lasting change in behavior or knowledge resulting from experience. Behavioral experiments assess intelligence by measuring how cephalopods change responses after experience.
Octopus escape behavior: Behaviors by octopuses that help them leave enclosures or evade confinement. Escapes from tanks and containers reveal persistent exploration and manipulation of barriers.

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