SHEPHERD, ROSS, & AVILA: PIUSBANDRY OF THE COCONUT OCTOPUS 
247 
Figure 7: Amphioctopus marginatus on display at the California Academy of Sciences, peering out of a hand-blown 
clear glass den. This approach to display fosters a successful and engaging cephalopod-guest interaction. Photo by Richard 
Ross. 
type of decor right in the center of the exhibit. Individuals will use all available materials to par¬ 
tially enclose themselves into their den. These octopuses are very active and regularly venture 
around their exhibit when they have been fed. We have witnessed display specimens swimming 
across the entire length of the exhibit to chase down prey. Sometimes an octopus would elongate 
its body and have just the tips of the arms in contact with its den in a type of “lookout” position 
(Fig. 8). It is also common to see them sitting in their dens with their arms folded in tightly to the 
mantle so their suckers and mouth area exposed (Fig. 7). 
These octopuses are also very curious and tactile; when they spot an aquarist taking the lid off 
of their enclosure they will usually swim up, reach out their arms and try to make contact with that 
person, perhaps rushing to get food. Unlike many octopus species that shy away from people and 
remain hidden, Amphioctopus are often out in the open, staying aware of their surroundings and 
looking for a new interaction. This tendency to remain active makes Amphioctopus a very engag¬ 
ing animal to care for and for guests to see on display. 
On display Amphioctopus were taught to open clear glass screw top jars to access prey inside 
the jars. The behavior was trained by starting with a prey item in an open jar. When we first began 
to add the lid, it was left very loose. As the training progressed, the lid was tightened more and 
more on subsequent feedings. Within two weeks, animals learned to open jar lids that were fully 
closed and hand tight. Amphioctopus were also offered prey items inside of plastic wiffle balls as 
an enrichment activity, as it takes time for the octopus to figure out there is food in the ball and 
how to remove it. 
