The Murky Details Of Octlantis, A City Built And Run By Octopuses

The mean streets of Octlantis may be 49 feet beneath the ocean's surface, but the octopuses that live there are still making waves. According to Science Alert, researchers have seen the cephalopods gather for group meetings, congregate in a central location, and communicate with one another using the colors of their camouflaged coats.

The team of researchers now has hours of video footage showing these submerged cities where octopuses rule, and their behaviors might not be what you'd expect. Newsweek reports that one study published by Current Biology described the octopuses in Octopolis gathering around a slightly raised section of the city and standing on the platform to display themselves in various hues. They would spread their legs and raise their bodies while another octopus looked on.

Before you start thinking the cephalopods are big theater buffs putting on spectacular light shows, you should know that this show is a kind of confrontation that sometimes gives way to a fight. There have reportedly been hundreds of these types of interactions since the city was discovered and a fraction of those have led to sparring, wrestling, and the likes, with the losing octopus retreating at the end.

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